AVS goes to the NAIS People of Color Conference

The NAIS People of Color Conference (otherwise known as PoCC) has been an annual event for more than 35 years, and has grown over the years to host more than 8,000 educators from all over the U.S and beyond.  

PoCC is considered to be the” flagship of NAIS’s commitment to equity and justice in teaching, learning, and sustainability for independent schools.”, with the mission of providing a safe space for independent school educators of color to network and engage in extensive professional development with colleagues and allies of all backgrounds. 

Thanks to the Alta vista Annual Fund, in December of 2023, AVS was well-represented with 14 teachers and administrators from the Lower and Middle School in attendance at the conference in St. Louis, Missouri. We attended many exciting workshops, affinity group sessions, and keynote speaking engagements with authors, educators, and advocates such as Gholdy Muhammad, author of the books Cultivating Genius and Unearthing Joy. Dr. Muhammad talks about the importance of storytelling to share and maintain important aspects of culture, and the viral element of joy and connection. that comes with sharing and building upon our stories. I was also fortunate to facilitate a fulfilling roundtable discussion session with over 60 Black educators, where we shared some of the challenges and triumphs of our experiences in the nation’s independent schools.

AVS attendees also enjoyed the PoCC Hub and NAIS Central halls, where vendors, authors, and representatives from many organizations displayed innovative resources for enhanced learning and development for students and educators. 

Thanks to the generous support of our AVS community through the Annual Fund, 13 participants from our Lower and Middle Schools will proudly represent AVS at this year’s PoCC event in early December 2024. The theme, Meeting the Moment: Anchoring and Enriching Our Education Futures, promises an inspiring experience.

Some of our newer teachers will be attending PoCC for the first time this year; Alicia Seronio(3rd Grade), Summer Manqueros, (JK), Sakshi Srivasata(4th Grade), Sully Rufina(Extra Curricular/Student Support), and Melissa Morales (MS Social Studies) are eagerly anticipating experiencing this tremendous conference that they’ve heard so much about. 

Jennie Estrada-Fuentes(4th Grade), Carol Hsih(5th Grade),Ani Parinjian(JK), Madison Pulliam(MS Spanish), Jenny Sommer (Exec. Assistant) and myself are all very excited for this year’s PoCC  as “veteran” attendees.

We greatly look forward to the joy, affinity, learning and growth that PoCC provides and enables us to bring back to our vibrant community at AVS!