In continued efforts to incorporate equity, inclusion, and belonging into all aspects of life at Emma, faculty spent the first week of summer getting guidance on how to make sure their new courses reflect that. Associate Director of Equity and Inclusion Gemma Halfi shared the following reflections on the work:

As our teachers have been hard at work this week developing and fine-tuning Advanced Studies courses, renowned DEI consultant Dr. Liza Talusan spent time with them in virtual office hours to help put a DEI lens on their course content. Teachers were encouraged to continue diving deeply into the rich content they have already created, and were given wise guidance from Dr. Talusan about creating moments—both small and large—in which students can think critically and reflectively about the ways equity, justice, and identity are prevalent around every corner in our curriculum and classroom experiences. We are so grateful to Dr. Talusan for her expertise, energy, and joy that she brings to the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion!

With over 25 years of experience in PreK-20 education, Dr. Talusan is known for her engaging conversations about diversity, anti-racism, bias, privilege, and power.  Her book, The Identity-Conscious Educator: Building habits and skills for a more inclusive school, provides a framework for building awareness and understanding of five identity categories: race, social class, gender, sexual orientation, and disability.

Many thanks to Dr. Talusan for her invaluable guidance, and to all of our faculty for moving this important work forward!