Over 97 percent agreed that the Institute content was both beneficial to them personally and professionally and would be helpful to people in their school or district. Another 98 percent agreed that the themes of the Institute were insightful and connected in a helpful way. Around 97 percent would recommend this Institute to a friend or colleague. Around 97 percent were satisfied with the Institute overall.
The Plenary Sessions
The plenary sessions made positive impacts on the institute attendees. Responses for all plenary sessions were majority positive for all groups, with most responses belonging to “agree” or “strongly agree” categories. Graduate students gained the most from this experience and had the most positive responses, with the majority responding that they strongly agreed with all measures (i.e. “This session was useful for me”; “The speaker or speakers were engaging”). No one responded “disagree” or “strongly disagree” to any of the statements.
For those who attended the plenary sessions, about 98 percent found them interesting and informative. 98 percent also found the plenary speakers knowledgeable and engaging.
The Gordon Lecture by Angela Valenzuela on Liberating Ways of Knowing was also a key highlight for participants who found her talk to be an almost spiritual experience.
Pool Parties
Pool Parties ended up being a memorable place for participants to work together in a safe space and participate in conversations about the week’s issues. About 90 percent of those surveyed felt that the pool parties helped them digest and relate to the material covered during the other parts of the Institute. About 91 percent of those surveyed agreed that their pool party session was helpful to their thinking about diversity within the context of the work they do in education.
Workshops
Institute attendees participated in a wide range of workshops across the week with some standout favorites.
"A Bit of Broadway! Acting for Educators to Stimulate Classroom Connections" with Elaine Perlman and Suzanne Darrell
"(Re)Imagining Black Boyhood: Strategies for Relational Learning in School" with Joseph Nelson
"Maker and Technology Education: Creating Opportunities for All" with Ronah Harris
"Cambridge Minority Report: Addressing Issues of Racial Marginalization and Discrimination Across the School Community" with Damon Smith