Bridging to Belonging

Home E Consulting E Social Justice in Education E Bridging to Belonging

Working with Polarization in Schools

With ongoing tensions in our local, national, and global contexts and increasing anxieties of young people, we believe it’s imperative to support educators and students to learn from, challenge, and support one another to navigate polarization and fragmentation in our communities. Anxiety is a normal biological response to being overwhelmed by the accelerated change we are experiencing related to climate, technology, globalization, demographic change, ethnonationalism, pandemic, war, and more (john a. powell). Those anxieties can deepen polarization, which shows up in our communities and schools.

In our Bridging to Belonging work, we explore tensions across social differences and ideologies that are present in our schools and communities and share concrete tools and skills that can support all students and educators to feel a sense of agency and confidence to bridge those differences in a way that centers both learning and care.

Our work is deeply informed by the work of the Social Justice Education Program at UMass Amherst and the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley.

Resources and Training

Bringing Tailored Training to You

CES specialists are available to provide on-site training and coaching for your administrators, classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, and related services providers. To schedule on-site training, please contact Angela Burke at aburke@collaborative.org. Among the training objectives and topics we bring to schools and districts:

- Collective understanding of bridging and belonging without othering
- Practices to explore and dialogue about polarizing topics in a way that supports learning and connection for everyone
- Concrete phrases, questions, and practices that can be used when tense moments arise
- Pedagogical approaches and activities that center students’ and educators’ capacity to share authentically who they are and what supports them to thrive in school
- Pedagogical moves that affirm the brilliance, authenticity, and belonging of all students
- Clear connections to social-emotional learning and civic engagement frameworks in alignment with the broader goals of DESE’s Educational Vision

Bridging to Belonging PLC

In this PLC, we frame and explore tensions across differences that are present in our schools as we seek to find ways for all students and staff to feel a sense of belonging. We will focus on ways to find shared values, create connections through stories, and bridge across different identities, and belief systems.

The PLC will be a place where educators can share what’s going on in their schools, what skills and practices they’ve been using, and how they might support each other in workshopping their approaches. This will also be a brave space of healing and connection for educators from across the region. We hope to create a community where educators can share how they’re impacted by the polarization, based on their own experiences and identities, while also engaging in what we can each do to better support ourselves, our students, and our colleagues in bridging to greater understanding and belonging together.

We’ll be meeting for 17 sessions, in person or online, between September 2024 – May 2025. Educators who sign up will be welcome to attend all or some of the sessions. If you attend at least 8 sessions, participate actively, and complete a final presentation or reflection, you can receive 15 PDPs in content.

Learn more

Meet the Joy and Justice Team

Mariah Lapiroff M.A.T., Ed.S.

Mariah is from Berkeley, CA, and grew up in a Chinese and Jewish family with teachers for parents. She continually feels deeply influenced by and connected to her home, cultures, and community. Mariah is a social justice facilitator committed to culturally sustaining, equitable, and transformational practices. She has experience working as a high school teacher, as well as an educator at elementary and university levels. She holds an M.A.T. in Latin & Classical Humanities and an Ed.S. in Social Justice Education from UMass Amherst. She facilitates sessions on the topics of social identities, self-awareness, oppression and liberation, intergroup dialogue, and relational education approaches that foster student agency and belonging in joyful caring school communities. Mariah firmly believes that social justice work in schools must happen th... Read More

Position: Joy, Justice & Equity Specialist

Email: mlapiroff@collaborative.org

Sabine Denise Jacques M.Ed.

Sabine Denise Jacques is a First Generation Haitian-American social justice facilitator, theater practitioner, actor, and Fulbright Scholar. She holds a BA in African-American Studies, a Multicultural Theater certificate, and her Masters in International Education with a certificate in Social Justice Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In her role as a SJE consultant, Sabine facilitates experiences where school community members, students, and building leaders learn to have brave and generative dialogue about oppression in a way that leads to more connection. Sabine is passionate about arts activism within Black & Brown communities, believes in the power of storytelling and its ability to provide space for vulnerability, healing, & joy. ... Read More

Position: Joy, Justice & Equity Specialist

Email: sjacques@collaborative.org

Safire DeJong Ed.D.

Safire is a mama, auntie, daughter, practitioner, and scholar. She is co-editor of Readings for Diversity and Social Justice and holds a Doctorate of Education in Social Justice Education from UMass Amherst. Her research focuses on young people’s experiences with status and power in schools and communities. At CES, Safire works with a team of talented and experienced co-facilitators (the Joy & Justice team!) to provide equity-focused consulting and professional development for PK-12 schools. She has 20 years of experience facilitating social justice work, intergroup dialogues, and training skilled facilitators. These experiences have enabled her to develop a broad set of tools and skills that can support groups to find the most generative possibilities for liberatory futures, together. ... Read More

Position: Joy & Justice in Schools Program, Co-Director

Email: sdejong@collaborative.org

Phone: (413) 586-4900 x5929

Tom Chang M.Ed.

Tom Chang is a dedicated leadership coach, teacher educator, and community organizer. He is the board chair of the Sojourner Truth School for Social Change Leadership and co-director of the Joy and Justice in Schools program at the Collaborative for Educational Services. With a deep commitment to co-facilitation, Tom and his colleagues have worked closely with over 20 schools districts and organizations to center the needs and brilliance of young people. He draws on 3 years of experience as a social justice and equity specialist and 15 years as an elementary school teacher working to cultivate environments where all community members feel a genuine sense of belonging. In an increasingly divided world, Tom emphasizes the power of bridging and recognizing our shared humanity as a path to collectively taking better care of ourselves and each... Read More