BCPS EQUity CONFERENCE
VIRTUAL MONTHLY EQUITY HOUR Purpose
Purpose of the Equity Hour is to highlight our equity liaisons that we have throughout the district, and to promote efforts of diversity and inclusion, efforts taking place county-wide on a monthly basis with diverse topics and discussions.
The following questions will be asked during the Equity Hour:
Does practicing your faith have any impact on your learning?
Have you faced discrimination based on your beliefs?
What awareness have you been able to bring about in your school through the Muslim Student Association?
Why is it important for our school community to embrace diversity and inclusion?
How can you as a student encourage others to be sensitive to your beliefs and practices?
What changes would you like to see in our schools to promote Muslim American Heritage Month and embrace diversity and inclusion?
We will also celebrate the young people on the panel this evening, to recognize them as an integral part of our community, to give them the opportunity to speak their truth, and to encourage them to continue to engage in community involvement efforts, such as this, to understand the importance of self and community advocacy.
This is also an opportunity for educators and community stakeholders to engage in culturally responsive action in real time with our youth and acknowledge and affirm the lived experiences of our students.
The goals for this evening are to:
RECOGNIZE April as Muslim American Heritage Month
PROVIDE an opportunity to learn the contributions of Muslims in Broward County and the United States as a whole, in shaping our nation.
EMBRACE diversity and inclusion
BREAK DOWN stereotypes and beliefs that interrupt our goals of inclusion
We will engage and learn more about upcoming events celebrating diversity and inclusion as well as, existing prosocial organizations engaging students of color within Broward County Public Schools and the influence of these organizations in our community.
FEATURED GUESTS
Imam Derrick Peat
Representing the South Florida Federations
Derrick Peat graduated from the World Islamic Sciences in Amman, Jordan. He focuses on reinforces universally shared values such as respecting one's neighbor, spreading compassion and desiring for others what we desire for ourselves. He is proud to be a part of the diverse religious landscape in the South Florida area; he enjoys spearheading interfaith efforts, serving the community and revolutionizing the current discourse on faith in America. He has a passion for erasing stereotypes, bigotry and false narratives.
Afeefa Abdool-Ghany
Executive President of MSA for Middle & High Schools
Afeefa Abdool-Ghany is one of the founding members of the Muslim Students Association for Middle & High Schools and currently serve as the Executive President. She is a PhD candidate studying Chemical Engineering with an emphasis in Environmental Engineering. She was born in Florida to immigrant parents from Trinidad. Afeefa is very active in her community and mentors the youth in Broward County Public Schools. She serves as an advisor to the Broward County Schools- Muslim Student Association, which is an organization that encourage both Muslims and non-Muslims to evolve intellectually during their tenure at Broward County Schools as well as become enlightened, responsible, and just individuals. Afeefa was also appointed to serve on the Diversity Committee by a School Board Member, which promotes equity for all students. She initiated a project entitled “Adopting Global Communities.” Through this project, she took medical and college students to Trinidad and Guyana on a mission trip to provide health care and humanitarian needs. These experiences lead her to pursue her passion in providing the skillsets needed to maintain a clean and sustainable environment.
Featured Organizations:
Mentoring Tomorrow’s Leaders
Mentoring Tomorrow’s Leaders (MTL) is a peer-to-peer mentoring and student leadership program that serves youth who are at-risk for not graduating and/or remaining in school. The program aims to decrease dropout rates, particularly among minority males, to ensure successful school graduation.
MTL is based on the following five pillars:
Academic Achievement
Mentoring
Family Involvement
Community Support
Incentives
women of Tomorrow
Established in Miami in 1997, the Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program was born out of the belief that caring professional women sharing their knowledge, expertise and support with at-risk and disadvantaged girls can be the catalyst for success by inspiring them to aim higher, by providing them with the skills necessary for personal and professional success – allowing them to find the strength and determination to transform their lives despite the obstacles stacked against them Women of tomorrow organization partners with local schools to provide mentees with small group monthly mentoring sessions by highly accomplished professionals, field trip opportunities that may include college visits, and tours of local public service and governmental agencies
BCPS Human Relations Council
Human Relation Councils are school based pro-social clubs. Approved by the School Board of Broward County in August 1999, the Human Relation Councils were established in October 1999 to in the secondary schools and centers. Broward is one of the most diverse counties in the nation. The HRC’s have become key mechanisms for the training of students and staff in diversity sensitivity, cultural competence and affording students an opportunity to foster greater intercultural relations and understanding.
Muslim Student Association
for Middle & High Schools
The Muslim Students Association for Middle & High Schools originated to bring together different schools under one unified, organized, proactive group.
It stands for the principles of inclusiveness, responsibility, and action. As an organization aimed primarily at the student body, we strive to remain inclusive of those who wish to understand, appreciate, and maintain their identity. The MSA also reaches out to those who are not Muslims, primarily to educate them about the misconceptions regarding Islam and fosters a social community for everyone. The goal of the MSA is to encourage both Muslims and non-Muslims to evolve intellectually during their tenure at Middle and High Schools and to become enlightened, responsible, and just individuals.