Founded in 2001, Center for Racial Justice in Education’s mission is to train and empower educators to dismantle patterns of racism and injustice in our schools and communities. We envision a world where all young people learn and thrive in racially equitable, liberating, and empowering educational spaces. CRJE delivers professional development training, coaching, consultation, and in-depth programming that supports educators in classrooms, schools, and educational organizations grounded in racial justice and equity.
If you are interested in bringing CRJE to your school or organization, please fill out our inquiry form.
Partnership Programs
Racial Justice in Schools & Organizations
At Center for Racial Justice in Education, we believe that racial justice work is a journey and requires an ongoing commitment to racial justice education, self-reflection, and community engagement.
In this year-long partnership, partners engage in training, assessment, community building, and customized coaching. Schools and organizations in CRJE’s RJIS(O) program gain strategies and resources to build culture, practices, and policies grounded in racial justice and equity. RJIS(O) consists of the following phases: building community and vision, racial equity audit, planning for racial equity action, and implementation and reflection. Participating schools join a cohort of educators and schools that are actively building an anti-racism practice in their communities.
RJIS(O) consists of:
- Two separate 6-hour trainings with up to 35 participants per training
- A community-driven and data-informed Racial Equity Audit through which CRJE will uncover the most pressing racial justice needs within the community. Organizations will gain a set of recommendations for building a stronger institutional foundation for racial equity work.
- Racial Equity Leadership Council for up to 5 hours per month
- Executive Coaching for up to 3 school leaders
The Baker Butler Youth-Adult Partnership Program
Inspired by the legacies of Ella Baker and Octavia Butler, the Baker Butler Youth-Adult Partnership Program utilizes an arts-based pedagogical approach to target critical dialogue, creative expression, and youth-adult partnership, in order to advance racial justice in high schools. Learn more about the Baker Butler program.
Trainings
Talking About Race (6 hours)
In this flagship 6-hour training, educators will (1) deepen their knowledge of the history and definition of race and racism, (2) strengthen their analysis of how racism manifests in schools and classrooms, (3) gain strategies to support a school-wide culture of respect, equity, and inclusivity, and (4) practice utilizing tools to address race and racism with colleagues and students.
This training is tailored for each audience:
- School-based Teachers and Leaders: Participants will learn selected history of racism in education with a potential to focus on the local context of their school. They will learn to apply a racial equity lens in order to identify issues of racism that occur in classrooms and schools, relevant to the developmental level of their students. This training focuses on schools as sites for experiencing and disrupting racism.
- Youth-Serving Nonprofit Educators and Leaders: Participants will learn how a history of racism in education manifests in their educational organization. Focusing on the mission of the organization and the population they serve, participants will learn to apply a racial equity lens in order to identify issues of racism that occur in their organization and in their work serving youth. This training focuses on non-profit educational organizations as sites for experiencing and disrupting racism.
- Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers: Participants will learn how children see race and gain skills for approaching age-appropriate conversations using a racial equity lens. They will practice strategies to promote positive racial identity development in children, including addressing misconceptions about race and reversing unconscious racial bias. This training focuses on the home as a setting for learning about race and culture.
Taking Action: Strategies and Scenario Role Playing Practice (3 hours)
In this training, participants reflect upon learning from previous training and gain and apply strategies to address issues of race and racism within educational institutions. Participants spend time practicing these strategies to address race and racism in their schools and organizations through role play. In this practice, participants explore their own racial identity as it pertains to their pedagogy as educators and will debrief learnings with their colleagues. Prerequisite: Talking About Race
Talking About Impact: Unconscious Bias in Classrooms (6 hours)
This follow-up training dives into how internalized and interpersonal racism manifest as unconscious bias and microaggressions in school settings. Participants explore the impact of unconscious bias on the academic and social emotional development of students, learn how these biases affect their educational practices, and gain tools to recognize and address their own racial biases. Prerequisite: Talking About Race
Senior Leadership Training (3 hours)
This small group training is designed to support leaders in identifying and analyzing opportunities for racial equity in their school or organization. Participants learn the critical elements of the meaning of educational equity; understand the dynamic interplay of systemic oppression and their own racial identity; grow their understanding of liberatory consciousness through an awareness, analysis, action, and accountability cycle; and identify a preliminary Equity Opportunity and plan next steps for leading for educational equity.
Facilitating for Racial Justice (20 hours)
Focusing on building facilitator capacity to lead conversations about race and racism, this training is designed for educators and leaders who are spearheading racial justice work in their school or organization. Over the course of 20 hours together, participants share stories grounded in a systemic racial analysis, engage in self-reflection using a race-equity lens, explore their racial identities, practice strategies to engage with resistance, and receive feedback on facilitation. Prerequisite: Talking About Race
Coaching & Consultation
Executive Coaching
School and organization leaders are provided with individualized coaching to support the development of their leadership practice for racial equity. Coaching sessions are customized to the short- and long-term goals and needs of each leader, with a focus on deepening leaders’ positive racial identity and change management for racial justice.
General Consultation
Schools and organizations are matched with a facilitator who provides ongoing support of a Racial Equity Leadership Council (RELC) / DEI Committee, or other school leaders and community members, who are charged with collectively leading the racial justice work in your organization. Over the course of several emergent sessions, the RELC is supported through:
- Shared visioning
- Consultation and support for planning racial equity initiatives across the organization
- Curated resources and materials to support their specific goals for racial equity in the organization
Racial Affinity Group Facilitation
In facilitated sessions, a selected group of educators from the community will engage with two (2) CRJE facilitators to explain the history of racial affinity spaces in the school and plan for group sessions. Up to two (2) CRJE facilitators will lead and/or support racial affinity group spaces in both separate and cross-racial settings. Participants will explore how racial identity is developed, as well as the impact of their own racial identity development on their work with colleagues and students. Participants will also explore internalized racism and unconscious biases in racial affinity spaces and in community with their colleagues.
Evaluation & Assessment
Racial Equity Audit
Through a community-driven and data-informed ‘racial equity audit’ process, CRJE will uncover the most pressing racial justice needs within the community. The audit includes interviews with up to three (3) leaders, focus groups with up to two (2) groups of adults and two (2) groups of youth, surveys for staff, youth, and family community members, and document analysis. Organizations will gain a set of recommendations for building a stronger institutional foundation for racial equity work.
*This audit is designed for schools and organizations with up to 50 staff and up to 500 students served. For additional staff and / or students, additional costs may be required for more focus groups, interviews, surveys, and other analyses to accurately assess the school or organization.
