On January 8th, CRS’ Compass affinity group held a meeting via Zoom and were honored to be joined by guest speakers DeMetrice Via, Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and Jasmin Harris, School Counselor both from Triangle Day School in North Carolina. They presented and led a conversation on “The Adultification of Children of Color.”
Compass is an affinity group that provides a space for CRS parents of students of color, and our students of color, to be in community and to discuss the distinct issues, needs, and experiences they encounter in independent schools. This year, Compass is led by Prek/K co-teacher Dorothy Gregoire in partnership with parent Rachel Nagler P ‘31.
Dorothy met DeMetrice and Jasmin at the NAIS People of Color Conference in St. Louis and came back to CRS with valuable tools as a parent and an educator. Our speakers shared about the history of adultification, what adultification bias may look like in a school setting, and the critical role of schools in creating safe and brave spaces. We discussed the parental role in validating a child’s feelings, avoiding labeling, advocating for and encouraging the child to self-advocate, and frequently checking in. The meeting concluded with rich conversation on shared experiences.
The next Compass meeting is scheduled for February 12th.