District Training Assembly: DEI Summit

PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED. IF YOU HAVE NOT REGISTERED AND WISH TO ATTEND, PLEASE TEXT 508.878.5703. WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO RESPOND.

Rotary District 7910 is pleased to announce our first Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit. 

Rotary International’s theme for this year is “Serve to Change Lives.”  Join us on March 26, from 9-11 am to connect, network, and share ideas with other DEI stakeholders. Learn about available resources, actions you can take, and programs you can plan to change lives in your community. Attendance is free, but space is limited. Register now to secure your seat at this important event.

Agenda

8:45 – 9:00 – Say hello to your fellow DEI people - informal

9:00 - 9:15 - Welcome/Intro

9:15 - 10:00 – Zoom Breakouts

Room 1 - Disability Advocacy • Moderator: Allison Lourash
Jeremy Opperman - Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy, South Africa
Nate Johnson – Dir North Quabbin Citizens Advocacy
Victoria Handley – Advocate for people with Autism

Room 2 - How to Get Started with DEI in Your Community • Moderator: Sue Peghiny – Rotary Club of Newton
Anna Giraldo-Kerr - The Lived Experiences Project
Janine Taylor - Town of Sudbury DEI Commission
Paula Collins - Shrewsbury Lived Experiences Project

Room 3 - Creative Equity Initiatives For Your Community • Moderator: Joyce Graff

Liora Norwich - Network for Social Justice / Winchester
Peishan Bartley - Boxborough DEI Committee
Tony Logalbo - Harmony Foundation 

Room 4 - Infusing DEI On and Off-Campus  • Moderator: Julie Ginn
Hank Parkinson - Dean of Students, Fitchburg State University
Eric Nguyen - Dir Center for Inclusive Excellence – Framingham State
Lee Santos Silva - Director, Center for Equity and Cultural Wealth, Bunker Hill Community College

10:00 - 10:45 – Zoom Breakouts

Room 1 - How to partner with Rotary on DEI Projects
Bill Paulson – Diversity Book Fair / Little Free Libraries
Sandra Burgers - Community Fridge Project
Gary Arthur - Wellesley Rotarian

Room 2 - Resilience Network • Moderator: Tom Daly
Nichole Argo - Needham Diversity Initiative
Jamele Adams - Franklin Freedom Team
Anne Aisenberg - SPARK Kindness

Room 3 - Municipal DEI efforts • Moderator: Marianne Cooley
Latosha Dixon - Chair Chelmsford Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
Hattie Kerwin Derrick – City of Newton, Dir Community Engagement & Inclusion
Becca Meekins – Town of Northborough, Asst Town Admin

Room 4 - DEI in K12 Ed • Moderator: Bruce Field
Dr. Noor Ali - Principal, Al-Hamra Academy, Shrewsbury.  Assistant Professor Graduate School of Education, Northeastern University
Tiffany Lillie – Framingham Public Schools, Assistant Superintendent of Equity
Jessica Peterson – Principal, Newman Elementary, Needham
Karen Bourn - Principal John Eliot Elementary, Needham

10:45 - 11 - Wrap up

Who Should Attend

• Rotarians
• Community members working on DEI issues
• Municipal employees responsible for DEI issues
• Corporate/Organizational DEI managers
• Educators focusing on DEI issues

At Rotary, we have no tolerance for racism. Promoting respect, celebrating diversity, demanding ethical leadership, and working tirelessly to advance peace are central tenets of our work. We all have work to do to create more just, open, and welcoming communities for all people. We know there are no easy fixes and that challenging conversations and work lie before all of us. Rotary’s strength has long been our ability and commitment to bringing people together. We will tap into that strength now as we stand with those who are working for peace and justice.  Rotary will do our part to listen, learn and take action to ensure that we continue to contribute to making positive change. 

We recognize that Rotary can play an important role in our communities in addressing the inequities that exist in education, access to medical care, job opportunities, justice, food security, and more. Every year we support projects that work to address such inequities, and we invite our community members to join us as we work together to do good in the world. Join us on March 26 to be a part of the conversation.