DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION
Empower is an inclusive, affirming community for students, families, and team members of all identities.
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Together, we can all achieve limitless possibiliies.
FOUNDER'S MISSION
As a neurodivergent woman and member of the LGBTQ+ community, I know what it is like to feel unwelcome and unsafe in many spaces. It is of paramount importance to me that Empower is an affirming educational community where students, families, and team members who hold marginalized identities feel not only safe and welcome but actively valued for their identities.
It is a process of continuous creation because diversity, equity, and inclusion are not one-time destinations but instead are ongoing commitments that require time, dedication, and conversation.
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That is why we are engaged in regular learning and monthly DEI meetings to learn about injustices that people experience due to race, disability, neurotype, gender identity, religion, and other identities; address our own biases; explore our identities; and discuss how we can be part of creating a more just educational system and world. We envision a world where all students can achieve limitless possibilities.
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LIVING OUR VALUES
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS
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We have provided over $20,000 of academic scholarships to families who need our help and face barriers to accessing this type of support
COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS
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We partnered with our Empower community to create 100 hygiene kits that we distributed to unhoused people in downtown Atlanta
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We partnered with Because One Matters, a local foster care nonprofit, and our Empower community to collect over 100 new diverse children's books
VOLUNTEERING WITH SCHOOLS
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We have provided volunteer academic coaching to students in the Atlanta and Savannah areas.
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This year we volunteered our college essay and application expertise at Decatur High School's College Night, helping seniors apply to college
OUR dei & sel approach
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We prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion alongside social-emotional learning in our work.
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We use principles of Universal Design to guide our work, inspired by the belief that when we prioritize students with disabilities and different ways of thinking first, we create a system where all students thrive and succeed.
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We learn from our students, each other, and experts in the field. We learn from resources like:
- Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education by Alex Shevrin Venet
- Driven to Distraction by Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey
- Empowering Youth with ADHD by Jodi Sleeper-Triplett
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