Students of Color Conference - Joy and Justice: From Smiles to Solidarity

The Lake Washington School District (LWSD) Equity & Family Engagement Department hosted the third annual Students of Color Conference at Cascadia College on May 17. More than 160 students attended and the event featured multiple workshops, live music and a powerful keynote speech by Roxana Pardo–Garcia.

Scholars explored this year’s theme “Joy and Justice: From Smiles to Solidarity” through the following workshops: Leveraging Social Media for Change and Advancement, Post-secondary Education Resources for Latino and Undocumented Students, How to be a Xingona in 10 Easy Steps, Redefining Professionalism, Reducing Miscommunication, So You Want to Be a DJ, Cascadia Scholars, Slanted Eyes: The Asian American Experience, Know Your Rights and Your Power, Express Yourself Through Your Surreal Self-Portrait, Tools for Staying Calm, This is Your Story, and the Immigrant Experience.

“The Student of Color Conference is intended to provide students a window into a successful purpose driven future and a mirror that reflects their backgrounds,” said Pablo Ortega, LWSD’s Director of Equity & Family Engagement. “We host our annual event at Cascadia College to drive the point home that post high school plans can look different for our students. Post-secondary education is one of the paths we highlight to our students, as well as other options such as technical education. The mirror we provide is ensuring that our presenters are community leaders and scholars who share a background with our students whether it be through ethnic heritage or shared life experiences.”

“Our work focuses on MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support), equity and inclusion,” Ortega continued. “MTSS is education-speak for giving students the right amount of support in school, while still insisting on rigor and inclusion, which signifies opening more spaces to allow for all students to feel engaged, challenged and be a part of the community. Equity also means giving students an opportunity to be at their best by meeting them where they are and forging ahead. The Student of Color Conference strives to live up to those three areas by providing a space for students furthest away from educational justice to thrive and belong.”