An anti-racism workshop is being held for British Columbian educators later this month.
This workshop was prompted by the results of a recent study conducted by the Coastal Research, Education and Advocacy Network (CREAN), which explored high school students’ experiences with racism in the education system.
CREAN says this study found that the racism experienced by students was detrimental to their mental health, well-being and academic success.
Of the students who took part in the study, 29.3% reported that racist remarks moderately impacted their sense of belonging in the school setting.
Meanwhile, 43.9% said they avoided spaces like the cafeteria and lunch room because of discomfort in those settings, or safety concerns.
Similarly, bathrooms, locker rooms and school buses were reported to be frequently avoided.
CREAN says this directly indicates that school environments are a major contributing factor to students’ sense of exclusion.
“These findings show a need for better understanding of racialized students’ experiences, and the timely delivery of culturally safe anti-racism training with students and teachers,” wrote CREAN in a media release.
The aim of the upcoming anti-racism workshop is to empower school staff to foster supportive environments for their students and equip them with the tools to do so.
This workshop is free and open to all educators and it will take place over Zoom on November 21st, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Interested individuals can sign up for the course online, here.
CREAN was established in 1989 in order to empower vulnerable, low-income and racialized youth through research, education and advocacy.
