MEDIA RELEASE: Cascadia College partners with Northshore School District to organize a Student Justice Conference for high schoolers

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For immediate release | March 31, 2022

Cascadia College partners with Northshore School District to organize a Student Justice Conference for high schoolers

Bothell, WA – On Friday March 25th, close to 300 students, chaperones, volunteers, and community partners gathered together in Cascadia College’s Mobius Hall to kickstart the 2022 Northshore School District Student Justice Conference. The excitement in the air was palpable. Music was blaring from the loudspeakers, the DJ was raising the roof and despite the early hour, high school students from Northshore were ready and raring to get into the day’s proceedings. For many, including Cascadia College, this was their first in-person conference after two years of pandemic-induced isolation. The masks were on but the smiles underneath them were barely concealed.

Keynote speaker Dr. Christopher Emdin with organizers from the Northshore School District's Racial and Educational Justice department.After land acknowledgement from Mary Wilber from the Osoyoos Indian Band who was a past Director of the Eastside Native Education Program and opening remarks from Northshore School District Superintendent, Dr. Michelle Reid and Dr. Eric Murray, President of Cascadia College, it was time for the keynote speaker, Dr. Christopher Emdin, the Robert A. Naslund Endowed Chair in Curriculum Theory and Professor of Education at the University of Southern California.

Dr. Emdin spoke on the theme of the “Pandemic as Portal” and using hip-hop, he introduced the educational model of the “Ratchetdemic” as someone who celebrates their ratchet identity while displaying their academic brilliance. “I loved the idea of being able to embrace my background, my identity while learning inside the classroom,” said one of the student participants. The audience was engaged with the speaker and very animated during the call and response portions of the keynote address.

Students dispersed to different workshops, which varied in topics that ranged from learning about the Black Panthers to engaging in authentic social media activism and understanding algorithm bias. Other popular workshops, provided by Cascadia College, discussed navigating the community and technical college system in Washington state, about the Cascadia Scholars Program that provides mentorship to BIPOC and historically underrepresented students at Cascadia College. Students also learned about the importance of representation of BIPOC teachers and their students in academia in a workshop led by Cascadia faculty member, Dr. Jesús Pérez.Cascadia College's mascot, Kody, with organizers from Cascadia's Office of Equity and Inclusion.

Post-lunch, students had an opportunity to interact with local community partners, take tours of the Cascadia and UW Bothell campus and practice networking. “It served as an actualized symbol for why we, our Northshore district community, are stronger when we build and cultivate community with our students, not just for them,” said Ayva Thomas, the Assistant Director of the Racial and Educational Justice department at the Northshore School District.  Thomas added, “I also know that while this conference took place on one day, it was the result of the racial and educational justice work that has already been accomplished in Northshore and the flame of hope that will continue to light the way forward.”

Cascadia’s Office of Equity and Inclusion (E&I) and Outreach teams were instrumental in organizing this event. Chari Davenport, Executive Director of Equity and Inclusion, summed up the event like this, “The dynamic Northshore Student of Justice Conference was a grand success! I loved the energy in the faces of our students who represent us now and in the future. The workshops were well-attended, the speakers dazzled, and the students enjoyed all of it. The Northshore School District is now on the calendar for next year and I am thrilled that Cascadia is part of this great partnership!”

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About Cascadia College: Cascadia College is a comprehensive community college that specializes in university transfer education. It is nationally recognized for its high transfer rate and for its emphasis on collaborative and active learning across disciplines. It was established by the legislature to serve the higher education needs of Northeast King and South Snohomish counties.

For information, please contact Satarupa Joardar at Cascadia College at sjoardar@cascadia.edu.