Affinity Group Work at PoCC

PoCC hosts affinity group sessions to provide an opportunity for sharing and exploring your life and experiences within safe and supportive spaces defined by membership in a specific racial or ethnic identity group. Led by a team of trained facilitators, affinity group participants celebrate identities, share successes and challenges, and engage freely. The overarching vision for PoCC affinity group work includes:

facilitating opportunities for affirming, nurturing, and celebrating lived experience;
discussing issues related to racial/ ethnic identity development in a safe environment where people who share that racial or ethnic identity can generate community, fellowship, and empowerment; and
envisioning and sharing strategies for greater racial and ethnic diversity, equity, and inclusion in NAIS-member schools and communities.

Download the NAIS Equity and Justice Principles for Conversational Leadership and Shared Work.
Download the handout, Affinity Groups as Self-managed Conversations.

WHICH AFFINITY GROUP DO I ATTEND?

Affinity groups are designed specifically to encourage interaction among members of the same racial or ethnic background. Although each of us may lay claim to multiple identities, affinity group sessions call participants into community based on their individual racial and ethnic identity. You know you are in the right affinity group if you can say unequivocally, “I am __________” and speak to that group’s collective racial or ethnic identity and experience from the “I” and “we” perspective.

To preserve the safety and integrity of each affinity group space, you should attend only those sessions that correspond with the racial and ethnic identity to which you belong. This is not a space to learn about the racial or ethnic identity of others, including that of a child, spouse, or partner.

Anita Sanchez will serve as the lead facilitator for the affinity group work. She is an organization development consultant, trainer, author, and speaker focused on diversity and inclusion, large system change, team building, and coaching.

The affinity groups are:
Asian, Asian Pacific-Islander
Black, African
First Nations
International
Latinx
Middle Eastern
Multiracial
South Asian
Transracially Adopted
White, European Awareness & Accountability Group

Title	Description	Time	Activity Type	Registration
Affinity Group Session 1	PoCC hosts affinity group sessions to provide an opportunity for sharing and exploring your life and experiences within safe and supportive spaces defined by membership in a specific racial or ethnic identity group. Led by a team of trained facilitators, affinity group participants celebrate identities, share successes and challenges, and engage freely.	Wednesday, December 2, 3:20 PM-4:30 PM	Affinity Group	Not required
Affinity Group Session 2	PoCC hosts affinity group sessions to provide an opportunity for sharing and exploring your life and experiences within safe and supportive spaces defined by membership in a specific racial or ethnic identity group. Led by a team of trained facilitators, affinity group participants celebrate identities, share successes and challenges, and engage freely.	Thursday, December 3, 5:30 PM-6:45 PM	Affinity Group	Not required
Affinity Group Session 3	PoCC hosts affinity group sessions to provide an opportunity for sharing and exploring your life and experiences within safe and supportive spaces defined by membership in a specific racial or ethnic identity group. Led by a team of trained facilitators, affinity group participants celebrate identities, share successes and challenges, and engage freely.	Friday, December 4, 3:00 PM-4:14 PM	Affinity Group	Not required

Thank you to our Affinity Group Facilitators!

Asian, Asian Pacific-Islander
Tuan Nguyen, Georgetown Day School (DC)
Reanne Young, The Roeper School (MI)
LeeAnn Brash, Milton Academy (MA)
Marc Allard, Menlo School (CA)
Joel Sohn, Episcopal High School (VA)
Pierre Yoo, The Hotchkiss School (CT)
Hau Bui, Northwest Academy (OR)
Lilia Cai-Hurteau, Philips Academy (MA)
Gracie Alcid, Gann Academy (MA)
Kavan Yee, Lowell School (DC)
Maria Paz Alegre, Dalton School (NY)
Jessica Boualavong, Town School for Boys (CA)

Black/African
Craig Jones, The Wellington School (OH)
Tiffany Blassingame
Danae Aicher, Rainbow Learning School (MD)
Kim Beamon, The Agnes Irwin School (PA)
Jami Ervin, The Columbus Academy (OH)
Brandon Guidry, The Berkeley Carroll School (NY)
Charles Owens, Maret School (MD)
Kerri Redding, Washington International School (DC)
Meredith Spencer, Redwood Day School (CA)
Dawn Anderson, Trevor Day School (NY)
Worokya Duncan, The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine (NY)
Elizabeth Garland, Carolina Day School (NC)
Leslie Hosey, The Roeper School (MI)
Tesha McCord Poe, Girls Middle School (CA)
Denise Breland, Redwood Day (CA)
Dori King
Jules Greene, Park Day School (CA)

First Nations
Carol Swainson, San Francisco Schoolhouse (CA)

International
Brian Mahabee, Oak Rivers Baptist School (TX)
Chenelle Geoffroy-Lindsey, St. James Episcopal School (CA)
Filipe Camarotti, Choate Rosemary Hall (CT)
Kojo Clarke, New Canaan Country School (CT)

Latinx
Isabel Ramirez-Shealy, St. Christopher School (VA)
Adrian Castillo, Latin School of Chicago (IL)
Roger Zamora, Menlo School (CA)
Alicia Agosti, Stevens Cooperative School (NJ)
Marcella De Diego, Washington International School (DC)
William Yepes-Amaya, Belmont Day School (MA)
Leesa Mercedes, Belmont Day School (MA)
Yaneth Vrentas, Meridian School (WA)
Alex Fernández, Middlesex School (MA)
Brigitte Leschhorn, Phillips Academy (MA)
Tony Hernandez, NAIS
Isabel Ceballos, Ethel Walker School (CT)

Middle Eastern
Fakhereddine Berrada, Lakeside School (WA)
Bobby Mirzaie, Ensworth (TN)
Dena Harry Saleh, St. Elizabeth's School (CO)
Haroon Tahir, Redwood Day School (CA)

Multiracial
Tammi Abad, Katherine Delmar Burke School (CA)
Rick DaSilva, Tabor Academy (MA)
Adrienne Timmons, The Seven Hills School (CA)
Lori-Ann Brogdon, Catherine Cook School (IL)
Danae Howe, Seattle Academy (WA)

South Asian
RK Doering, Wheeler School (RI)
Shubh Agrawal, Worcester Academy (MA)
Ravi Pillalamarri, Friends Seminary (NY)
Aparna Singhal, St. Clement's School (ON)
Nishat Alikhan, Polytechnic School (CA)
Sonali Kumar, Maret School (DC)

Transracially Adopted
Christine Thorpe, Hillbrook School (CA)

White, European Awareness & Accountability Group
Kit Tennis, Sanchez, Tennis & Associates, LLC
Betsy Fowler, San Francisco Schoolhouse (CA)
Elizabeth Kriynovich, Delaware Valley Friends School (PA)
Katie Gibson, Georgetown Day School (DC)
Jason Novak, Lowell School (DC)
Peg Schultz, Georgetown Day School (DC)
Berkeley Gillentine, BLG Consulting
Mitch Bostian, The Berkelely School (CA)
Amy Deuble
Catherine Dison, The Wellington School (OH)
Lauren Kinnard, Georgetown Day School (DC)
Alyssa MacMeekin, The Key School (MD)
Bethany Pitassi, Sage Hill School (CA)
Moses Rifkin, University Prep (WA)
Jan Reeder, Riverside Presbyterian Day School (FL)
Anna Goldstein Howe, Georgetown Day School (DC)
Cord Greene, Cathedral School for Boys (CA)
Tom Lees, Delaware Valley Friends School (PA)
Jay Rapp, NAIS