[0:00] Addressing inequity in education is not [0:02] just a St. Paul public schools [0:03] challenge. This dilemma plays our [0:06] cities, states, and nation. In order to [0:09] be accountable to our young people, we [0:11] must work together. The dream of beyond [0:13] our walls evolved from a collaborative [0:15] brainstorm with the goals to provide a [0:17] forum for all stakeholders to increase [0:19] their understanding and practice and [0:22] build our on uh principles of [0:24] collectivism and addressing issues of [0:26] inequities. St. Paul Public Schools [0:28] created the Beyond Our Walls Equity [0:30] Summit truly to call in the community [0:33] for a dedicated space where the work [0:35] continues. Everyone in the community is [0:37] welcome to the events. The Beyond Our [0:39] Walls Equity Summit is an opportunity [0:41] for people to come and build connect [0:44] with each other while they build their [0:46] knowledge base. And so after a day of [0:48] learning about topics there people are [0:50] passionate about, they walk away also [0:52] having made connections to organizations [0:55] and people who might be helpful to them [0:57] or who are doing work in the community [1:01] valuable to the overall goals that we [1:04] have in PPS. [1:06] >> Youth ambassadors is a student equity [1:08] development and leadership program. And [1:10] in this program, we really seek to [1:14] not only develop students leadership [1:15] skills, but develop students cultural [1:18] identities, racial identities, the [1:20] intersections of the different [1:21] identities they hold, [1:23] and make sure that their leadership [1:25] skills are reflective of those [1:28] identities. We want to make sure that [1:30] we're growing leaders who lead from who [1:33] they are, where they come from, and who [1:35] they seek to be in the context of this [1:37] world. The experience of being a youth [1:40] equity ambassador changed me in ways I [1:42] didn't expect. I've spoken in front of [1:44] crowds before at school events, [1:47] community gatherings, but this was the [1:48] first time I felt like my voice was a [1:51] part of something bigger, something that [1:54] could actually create change. As I've [1:56] connected with my peers in this role, [1:58] I've come to realize that this platform [1:59] is not only a place to critique the [2:01] flaws we see in the world around us, but [2:03] also confront the ones we carry within [2:05] ourselves, those that are easy to [2:07] overlook and that those that often go [2:09] under um unressed. But in this space, we [2:12] are encouraged to face them head on, to [2:14] hold up a mirror and ask, "How can I be [2:16] better? How can I grow? Not just for [2:18] myself, but for those who look to me for [2:20] leadership, for hope, and for change." [2:22] What has truly inspired me throughout [2:24] being a part of the equity summit is [2:26] watching the youth take charge. Seeing [2:28] the youth be leaders in this fight for [2:30] racial and gender equity is so [2:32] captivating in the sense that it gives [2:34] me hope. At today's equity summit, we [2:36] may come in with scars and wounds from [2:38] harm, but we will leave with love and [2:40] progress to healing. Thank you. [2:47] Our [3:03] sessions are done in groups. So, usually [3:06] you have two to three partners. I have [3:08] two other partners. We chose the topic [3:11] together. were all women of color and we [3:13] decided to talk about the sexualization [3:15] of women of color in today's society and [3:17] we chose that just because it's impacted [3:19] all of our lives. Um so our my session [3:22] is about I'm working with my partner [3:23] Aman. We're talking about the immigrant [3:25] experience cuz we are both first [3:27] generation students and of that sort [3:29] kind of demographic and a lot of people [3:31] in SPS can relate to that experience and [3:34] the mental impacts of that and the [3:36] financial aspects of it all. So there [3:38] are lots of struggles that come with it [3:40] and just kind of shedding light on that [3:41] experience may um make someone else feel [3:44] visible. [3:45] >> So the topics that um me and my group me [3:48] and Salma chose is stereotypes and [3:50] educational systems and it really um [3:53] brought a connection to me because I [3:54] grew up with immigrant parents. So it [3:56] was just nice working with someone that [3:58] had the same connections as me and you [4:01] know spending 6 weeks with her it was [4:02] really nice to get to know her as a [4:04] person. We are going to teach what is [4:06] sexualization? what is it against women [4:08] of color or women in general, how to [4:10] combat it, how to speak up against it, [4:12] and resources for women of color. In my [4:15] session, we cover stereotypes and [4:17] educational systems. Um, and we talk [4:20] about um a lot of our roots, as in our [4:22] backgrounds and how we grew up to be and [4:24] how it was experiencing with immigrant [4:26] parents and how we felt experiencing [4:28] being stereotyped in school. Honestly, [4:31] the most important part for me, the [4:32] takeaway being that we want to instill [4:36] empathy and we want people to care about [4:39] each other because that's what brings us [4:40] together the most. And even though this [4:42] may not be something that is impacting [4:44] you, your neighbor or the classmate [4:46] sitting right next to you or someone you [4:48] work with may be undergoing these [4:50] experiences that sound kind of unheard [4:52] of if you haven't um experienced it. But [4:56] just kind of remembering that and [4:58] bringing about that feeling and just [5:00] saying we can support each other. If we [5:01] uplift each other, we are stronger. [5:03] >> Young people um especially students are [5:06] often times the people that experienced [5:08] um the deepest marginalization, the [5:10] deepest forms of oppression in their own [5:12] communities, but are not often given the [5:14] platform to speak up and speak out about [5:16] them. So decisions are made about young [5:18] people by adults um but don't commonly [5:22] ask young people to move alongside us as [5:25] leaders to help us push against systems [5:28] of oppression to help disrupt them to [5:30] help have challenging conversations [5:31] about them um because of uh a wide [5:35] variety of reasons that include um the [5:38] belief that young people don't have [5:39] importance in these conversations when [5:41] actually they should be at the center of [5:43] them. I think they come out knowing that [5:45] who they are um and all of their [5:48] identities is important and is a central [5:52] part of who they are and that brings [5:54] them strength and joy and power. The [5:57] knowledge that not only am I important [6:00] but I have the leadership ability now to [6:02] lead others and understanding their own [6:05] importance is essential part of what we [6:07] do.