Equity in Action
Equity in Action is an interdisciplinary program for high school students that explores racial equity through the lenses of history, literature, current events, and civic engagement. It empowers students to examine personal identity, analyze systemic racism, understand historical injustices, and take meaningful action to challenge bias and promote inclusion. Rooted in empathy, inquiry, and social justice, the program supports critical thinking and student-led change in schools and communities.
🎯 Program Goals:
📚 What Students Will Learn:
🧠 Sample Activities:
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Develop students' understanding of race, racism, and intersectionality.
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Encourage personal reflection on identity, privilege, and lived experience.
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Build critical literacy to evaluate media, history, and policy through an anti-racist lens.
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Equip students with tools to challenge discrimination and foster equity.
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Empower youth voice and civic action for social change.
Students will:
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Define and analyze race, racism (individual, institutional, systemic), privilege, and intersectionality.
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Understand historical and contemporary systems of oppression (e.g., slavery, colonization, redlining, mass incarceration).
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Explore how bias and inequality show up in media, education, law enforcement, and healthcare.
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Evaluate racial justice movements, past and present (e.g., Civil Rights Movement, Black Lives Matter, Indigenous resistance).
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Practice respectful dialogue and advocacy strategies.
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Identify opportunities for local civic engagement and social change.
🔍 Identity Mapping & Reflection
Students create visual and written maps of their social identities and reflect on how these impact their experiences and perspectives.
🧾 Historical Justice Inquiry
Small groups research an injustice in national or global history (e.g., residential schools, Japanese internment, apartheid, Jim Crow laws) and connect it to a present-day issue.
🧠 Media & Bias Workshop
Analyze news articles, films, or social media posts for implicit bias, stereotypes, and power dynamics.
🗣 Structured Socratic Seminar or Debate
Discuss questions like:
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“Is equity more important than equality?”
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“What is the role of protest in democracy?”
🤝 Allyship Scenario Lab
Practice responding to microaggressions, biased language, or exclusion through realistic scenarios and peer feedback.
🌿 Environmental & Social Connections
🎁 Wrap-Up Projects:
📈 Program Outcomes:
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School Equity Audit: Analyze curriculum, clubs, events, and discipline policies for inclusion and representation.
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Community Leaders Q&A: Invite speakers working in DEI, activism, journalism, or restorative justice.
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Neighborhood Mapping: Identify signs of inequality in public services, housing, or policing.
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Global Connections: Explore racial justice movements from different countries or time periods (e.g., anti-caste movement in India, anti-apartheid movement in South Africa).
🎤 Social Justice Campaign
Design a student-led initiative that raises awareness, educates peers, or advocates for change (e.g., #NoPlaceForHate Week, equity club, anti-racist training).
🎬 Media Creation
Students develop a podcast episode, video, or digital story that shares research and personal insights on a chosen racial justice issue.
🖼 Art for Equity
Create spoken word pieces, visual art, photography, or zines that explore themes of identity, oppression, and justice.
📝 Policy Proposal or Letter Writing
Research a racial equity issue (e.g., school discipline, policing, textbooks) and propose a solution to school boards, media, or elected officials.
By the end of the program, students will:
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Speak confidently about race, privilege, and equity using informed, respectful language.
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Analyze historical and modern systems of racial injustice with depth and accuracy.
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Reflect critically on their own identity and biases.
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Demonstrate media literacy and the ability to challenge harmful stereotypes or misinformation.
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Create and present a final project that connects learning to action.
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Engage in civic discourse and community leadership with a focus on justice.