Unconscious Bias.  How do we create a more inclusive community in our schools and our Board? Diversity and equity have become buzzwords in business, NGO and government sectors but in reality, organizations, including educational institutions, have fallen short of reflecting and representing the broader population within which they work. Research shows that a 'sense of belonging' is key to a sense of job satisfaction. Moreover, it can determine the retention of employees. Feeling like you belong, knowing that you will be included, seeing your work community as "your" community - matters. How do we achieve this sense of community and belonging? What may we be doing that hinders it?

This session will examine some of the ways in which we consciously and unconsciously include/exclude others. Through this interactive session, participants will better understand some of the biases they may be holding that affects their decisions, their team choices and dynamic and who they select, ranging from recruitment to performance evaluations to who is mentored and for what positions. This will be an introspective and challenging session. You will not leave with a sheet of answers and 'how tos'.

Tanya (Toni) De Mello - Expansion Question and Answer - 12:15 pm - 1:00 pm

Expansion Question and Answer: How do we create a more inclusive community in our schools and our Board? Diversity and equity have become buzzwords in business, NGO and government sectors but in reality, organizations, including educational institutions, have fallen short of reflecting and representing the broader population within which they work. Research shows that a 'sense of belonging' is key to a sense of job satisfaction. Moreover, it can determine the retention of employees. Feeling like you belong, knowing that you will be included, seeing your work community as "your" community - matters. How do we achieve this sense of community and belonging? What may we be doing that hinders it? This session will examine some of the ways in which we consciously and unconsciously include/exclude others. Through this interactive session, participants will better understand some of the biases they may be holding that affects their decisions, their team choices and dynamic and who they select, ranging from recruitment to performance evaluations to who is mentored and for what positions. This will be an introspective and challenging session. You will not leave with a sheet of answers and 'how tos'.