Click here for a message to our community about Ingenuity’s commitment to racial equity and anti-racism.
It is Ingenuity’s belief that if our program is to provide STEM opportunities to students in Baltimore City, then our student population should look like the demographics of Baltimore City.
We know that equity work is never finished, and it is not a linear journey. To be the best advanced STEM program for every student in Baltimore City, Ingenuity is working through a Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity (DICE) plan that engages our entire community.
In 2015, we began phase one of our equity strategy: improving access through admissions policies, expanding seats at existing sites, forming high school affinity groups for students of color, adding a new middle school program at James McHenry Elementary/Middle School, and meeting with dozens of external experts in equity practices. Phase two, identity training and heart-opening, began in the 2019-2020 school year. Our teachers and board members engaged in racial autobiography development and training sessions with racial equity consultants. During phase three — culture, policy, and practice — we will launch an Appreciative Inquiry process that will shape our next strategic plan. Additionally, our community will learn about race and class identity in the classroom, and examine and revise policies that perpetuate inequity.
We are grateful for the support we have from our board members, funders, and most importantly, our students and their families in this vital, ongoing work. The role they play is invaluable.
Here are some resources our community is using:
- Baltimore City Schools’ Equity Policy
- Poly’s Equity Hub
- What We’re Reading and using to Learn
- The National SEED Project
- Developing personal Racial Autobiographies
- Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race by Beverly Daniel Tatum
- For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood . . . and the Rest of Y’all Too by Christopher Emdin
