Sessions

In the state of New Mexico, both the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University have received NASPA First Gen Forward Designations. This designation allows both universities to amplify their service and support of first-generation students. This session will share the work that the University of New Mexico is doing to uplift our “First-Gen Proud” community. Additionally, the session will provide participants with resources to support their graduating seniors who are transitioning to college as first-generation college students. Participants will learn more about how higher education classifies first generation status for students, why it is important for students to understand this term, and how both public education and higher education can build a more seamless transition for this population of students using Yosso’s (2005) Cultural Wealth Model. Participants will walk away with resources to enhance their support for students and their families.

Join us for a workshop designed specifically for teachers! Learn how to use the CARE teaching resource rubric to make informed and culturally responsive curriculum choices. This workshop will help you combat the harmful effects of a culturally and racially hostile classroom environment by providing you with the tools to carefully select supplemental materials that support your students' growth and development. This tool comes highly recommended by the Black Education Act Advisory Council, so be confident that you are using a recognized and effective resource. Sign up now to be a part of this empowering and educational experience.

Sustainable equity is an ongoing mission that requires a strategic plan in order to maintain focused effectiveness. Building a strong foundation is key. This practical session will engage participants in a guided discussion and activity centered on building a strong foundational equity bridge for students that others can build upon throughout the conference. This is designed to be easily replicated with students.

In this session we will enter into conversation(s) addressing the conditions necessary for creating inclusive learning opportunities for students by situationally attending to their biographies. Learning is best contextualized by creating "living moments" that draw upon the experiences, language, love and care that are lived within our everyday lives. Unfortunately, our current educational agendas attend to technocratic ways of doing that are focused on "one size fits all curriculum" that often ignores community and family knowledge. By planning for and delivering instruction that situates all knowledge as valuable, we as educators are capable of creating opportunities that are grounded in the language, culture and experiences of the family and learner. Session participants will be provided with tools that set conditions for the community and family to be central to all teaching and learning. 

This session will explore students' experiences in the NM K-12 public school system and their transition to the University of New Mexico. Students will share the unique challenges and opportunities they experienced in the K-12 system and how those experiences impacted their transition to the state's Flagship University and involvement with African American Student Services. Session participants will walk away with strategies to affirm and support Black students in their own educational workplaces.

This presentation will discuss implementing Hip-Hop Pedagogy in general and special education classrooms. The presenters will discuss strategies to counter traditional teaching practices within the education system and how to cultivate an inclusive classroom representative of black students using Hip-Hop Pedagogy.

This workshop will explain the Community School model, and discuss how its strategies can support students of color by collaborating with their community stakeholders.

This workshop will cover New Mexico and federal laws regarding discrimination and school policies with the goal of assisting educators in supporting diverse students and ensuring that their educational environments be free from discrimination as much as possible.

Oftentimes we get so caught up dealing with all of the stress and responsibilities of equity work and everyday life that we forget to take care of ourselves. We must be mindful of ourselves, our minds, and our bodies, otherwise we can experience burnout at a much quicker rate than normal. In this mindfulness workshop, we will strengthen our self-reflection skills, identify things we put the most energy into, and learn how to distribute that time and energy into things that are most important to us in our life. The goal is to live a more meaningful life, without feeling stressed doing equity work.

After educators focus on removing the implicit bias that exists within all humans, what are the next steps? All stakeholders involved within the educational system will learn how to remove bias from teaching instruction by celebrating diversity, making teaching material accessible to all learners, and joining students along their discovery of the subject matter. Educators will walk away knowing how to produce caring classrooms that allow all students, no matter what their backgrounds are, to achieve high academic standards.

According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011-2021 females are experiencing alarming rates of violence, poor mental health, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. And even though some differences between students across racial and ethnic groups have lessened there are still concerning disparities (“Center for Disease…”, 2022). During this session data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) that is specific to girls of color in New Mexico will be reviewed. The presenter will then share unexpected finding from her study done on Latinas Educational Leaders that provide implications for all who work with girls of color to support and strengthen their mental, social and emotional well-being through culturally affirming and responsive SEL practices.

Participants will use data and the components of restorative justice practices to design a simple set of action steps to use in their daily work with students and families, with the goal of reducing discipline, suspension, and expulsion practices and replacing them with restorative justice, outrageous love, and acceptance for Hispanic male students experiencing trauma, cultural biases, and racism.

This session will be engaging and interactive as we center equity, anti-racism and inclusive practices to ensure you as an early childhood professional can leave with tools, resources and actions that will create transformative change in your classroom community to value each child and family as their full authentic selves!

This workshop will provide an overview of what Social, Emotional, Academic Learning and Safety (SEALS) means and what it looks like when intentionally implemented in schools and communities. Get insight into your own SEALS competencies and related strengths and the importance of Adult SEALS in order to teach and model for students. Learn some common language and terminology regarding SEALS that you can use with students, parents and colleagues. This is not something new but rather a way of being and cultivating a supportive, safe and equitable environment for all.

How can educators, community members, researchers and policymakers deepen their understanding of the nuances and simultaneity of race, ethnicity, and ancestry, as well as their relationship to social inequalities? How can we depart from the premise that being Black and Latino are not mutually exclusive. How can we ameliorating the difficulties Afro-Latinxs experience in society—whether in education, housing, lending systems, the labor force, or health systems. This session will discuss research on the Afro-Latinx experience.

This session will also talk about the urgency of intersectional inquiry and praxis in education research by highlighting the limitations of racial self-identification currently implemented by the Census Bureau. The concept of “race” includes how we think of ourselves and how others perceive us, and this social status shapes lived experiences and outcomes. Rather than flatten distinctions between groups, researchers should provide survey respondents with enough questions—perhaps including questions on “perceived” or “street” race to understand their social position. If we assume that all Latinos are racialized the same way or only provide data on aggregate Latino outcomes, many inequalities will remain invisible.

Black male teachers make up less than 2% of the teaching force, but their presence is called on now more than ever. In this session we will explore the lives of Black male early childhood teachers and what we need to do to attract them into early childhood education.

Dr. Dèsa Karye Daniel will share ethical considerations for educators working with or interested in working with Black populations in New Mexico. She will highlight the importance of a Black Centered approach, being in tune with issues within the Black community, and best practices when working with Black youth to Black adults. Furthermore, Daniel will share their own perspectives, challenges, and triumphs when working with the Black community and agencies that support Black mental health. Black Centered Counseling is a dynamic manifestation of unifying African principles, values and traditions. It is the self-conscious "centering" of psychological analyses and applications in Black realities, cultures, and epistemologies. Black-centered counseling, as a system of thought and action, examines the processes that allow for the illumination and liberation of the Spirit. Black Centered counseling is ultimately concerned with understanding the systems of meaning of human beingness, the features of human functioning, and the restoration of normal/natural order to human development. As such, it is used to resolve personal and social problems and to promote optimal functioning.

Males, particularly those belonging to marginalized and underrepresented populations, are still one of the most misunderstood college students. Predominantly white institutions colleges make the erroneous assumption that an extension or invitation of welcome is the same as fostering a sense of belonging for men of color. This led colleges to construct policies and practices that do not intentionally and deliberately create an atmosphere where MOC feel valued, validated, and visible. Intentional efforts are needed to foster an atmosphere where MOC can both survive and thrive.

1. Provide a historical perspective of Men of color have with the educational experience
2. Offer Teaching strategies to engage men of color in and outside the classroom
3. Highlight the voices of the males, who are often Ignore disregarded and dismissed.
4. Distinguish the difference between A welcoming and belonging environment.