Wonderful news! Sabin School was chosen as a recipient of the NECN (Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods) to further our equity work on campus. The $1500 grant will support Amber Boydston, our amazing RJ coach, in forming a student equity group. In her work at Sabin, Ms. Boydston has connected with students who have been directly impacted by the rising racism, gentrification, and tenets of white supremacy that exist within our neighborhood and seep into our school.
The student group will focus on race talks, identifying student needs for more equitable outcomes, and tools for calling out/calling in when racism happens on campus or in our community. Students often feel the burden of inequities in our educational settings. This group aims to support their understandings of the systems which influence all of us, while connecting with others who share their lived experiences.
This project also includes a community film screening of “Priced Out”, a new film about 15 years of gentrification in Portland. This movie night will bring together families who have gentrified the neighborhood and families who have been impacted directly by gentrification for the first time in our school community. The Sabin neighborhood lies in the center of the push between wealthy white families and historically black community members who have been displaced to the numbers, but commute to Sabin because of family ties to the neighborhood and schools. This night will be a community building activity to learn, discuss and address issues of racism currently impacting our students. Ms. Boydston and student equity group leaders will lead a short discussion following the film.
Thank you to Ms. Boydston for her tireless work in community building at Sabin. Stay posted for more updates from these exciting projects.