Year of Action: Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain book study and leader and staff training continues.

FirstLine hired its first Chief Equity Officer.

FirstLine created its DEI Statement, Commitments to Act, and Diversity Goals with stakeholder input (organizational partners, parents, staff, leaders, FirstLine Board).

FirstLine leaders presented the DEI Statement and Commitments to Act to the whole organization.

FirstLine’s Chief Equity Officer presented the Diversity Goals to leadership and new staff at summer PD).

FirstLine launched Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain book study and leader training (summer).

All FirstLine staff received Overcoming Racism training (July 2020 – February 2021).

Virtual Learning & Afterschool Experiences.

Beloved Equity Audit Review.

Leaders identified Organizational Focus Areas based on Equity Audit.

Network leaders and school leaders collaborated to reframe our race and equity work to be at the center of our work in Mind, Body, and Spirit.

Network leaders participated in a series of trainings to be used to turn-key with staff over the summer and throughout the year.

FirstLine’s Equity Working Group piloted Valor Circles with a race and equity focus.

All-staff PD had race and equity choice sessions for all staff.

FLS partnered with Beloved Community to spearhead diversity work at Green and at the network. FirstLine committed to creating a strategic plan related to diversity, equity, and inclusion from this work by early August.

Dr. Allisyn Swift, Race and Equity Coordinator, and the Equity Working Group created the FirstLine Commitments through collaborative work across the network.

All FirstLine staff participated in Initial self awareness training at network PD day.

FirstLine staff across the network participated in pilot Valor Circles, a key strategy in building relationships across lines of difference.

The National Equity Project partnered with FLS and provided training at Leadership Retreats. FirstLine formed an Equity Working Group and Steering Committees, which met to shape and guide the work at our network.

School leaders and network leaders met to discuss issues of race and equity, along with FirstLine’s approach to race and equity, after the death of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.