Education Track: Building Inclusive School - Community Relationships in Perceived Homogeneity

“We don’t have a lot of (fill in the blank) students/people here, so diversity, equity, and inclusion work doesn’t apply.” This can be a common assumption in rural communities. Diversity that exists in your communities isn’t always visible. Recognizing the many identities that currently exists, as well as those that might join your community is imperative to creating inclusive school-community environments for all. This session will explore what inclusivity looks like in perceived homogeneity, tools to use to get the conversation going, and strategies to apply that create windows and mirrors for all.

Presenter: Rachel Logan, Sourcewell

Rachel Logan is an Equity and Inclusion consultant for Sourcewell, serving mostly rural school districts in Central Minnesota. Prior to her consultant role Rachel was a classroom teacher and literacy coach (K-12) in multiple states and settings including internationally. She is a nationally trained SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) facilitator and has presented for and worked with numerous levels of educational and local government roles state-wide and nationally. Rachel completed her undergraduate degree from Concordia College, Moorhead; and Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with K-12 Reading License from Concordia University, St. Paul. She is passionate about the power of working together to create equitable experiences and spaces for all.