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Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools

Equity Now Conference: Welcoming, Affirming, and Healing Schools

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Do not miss the EQUITY NOW conference on Friday, May 30th, 2025. This critical conference offers a full day of community building, networking and learning for educators, parent/caregivers, youth, community organizers and technical assistance providers who are committing to transforming their classrooms, schools and districts. All will walk away with clear next steps on what transformational education looks like when children, families, educators and community experience welcoming, affirming, healing and liberatory spaces.

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NYU Metro Center’s 2025 Equity Now Conference is Honored to Have Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings as Keynote Speaker

The Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools is proud to announce Professor Emerita and former Kellner Family Professor of Urban Education in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings as the keynote speaker for its 2025 Equity Now: Welcoming, Healing, and Affirming Schools Conference.


 

Equity Now Conference Travel and Lodging Options

Review your travel and lodging options for NYU Metro Center's 2025 Equity Conference

Learn more about travel information for NYU Metro Center's Equity Conference
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2025 Equity Now Conference: Welcoming, Affirming, and Healing Schools

Conference Schedule

8:45-9:30am: Continental Breakfast 

9:00-9:05am: Message from Dr. Fabienne Doucet, Executive Director of NYU Metro Center

9:05-9:10am: Greetings from Dean Jack H. Knott, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development

9:10-9:28am: Message from Dr. Lester Young, Chancellor for New York State Education Department

9:28-09:30am: Introduction to Keynote Speaker, Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings

9:30-10:30am: Keynote Speaker: Dr Gloria Ladson-Billings

10:32-10:50am: Book Signing with Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings

10:55am-12:05pm: AM Breakout Session 

12:15-1:10pm: Networking Lunch

1:20-2:30pm: PM Breakout Session 

2:35-3:00pm: Coffee Networking

3:00-4:15pm: Panel Conversation: Creating Welcoming, Affirming, and Healing Schools

4:15-4:30pm: Closing

AM Breakout Sessions (10:55 AM-12:05 PM)

 

Culturally Relevant Hands on STEM Learning

Room: 405 

Decolonizing Traditional Reading Instructional Practices: A Culturally Sustaining View and Approach to Literature

Room: 406

Draw Your Dream (Youth Only)

Room 901

Mapping Equity through Systems Thinking: Transforming Challenges into Liberatory Practices

Room: 903 

Let's D.R.I.P. (Diversity-Resilience-Interactive-Perspective) Culturally Responsive Sustaining Instruction in Social Studies

Room 904

Co-Creating Learning Communities: Partnering with Youth in Culturally Responsive Ways

Room: 905 

Elevating Coherence: Strategies for an Authentic Welcoming, Affirming, and Healing Learning Environment

Room: 906 

Intergenerational Healing: Closing the Gap between Immigrant Youth and Families

Room 907

Healing Through Empathy: Practices to Affirm Historically and Culturally Marginalized Groups

Room: 908

2nd Wave MTSS to Bring Together Restorative Practices and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy with Balanced Data Analysis

Room: 909 

Disability Justice and the Evolution of Inclusive Educational Leadership: Integrating the Social Model of Disability in Urban School Districts

Room: 910 

Grading for Growth: Cultivating Belonging Through Fair Practices

Room: 912

PM Breakout Sessions (1:20 PM-2:30 PM)

 

It’s A V.I.B.E.

Room: 405 

Healing in Progress: A Healing Circle with Healing Schools Project

Room 406

Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Power

Room: 903 

Nurturing Independence and Cultivating Interdependence

Room: 904

Creating Cultures of Care in Urban High Schools

Room: 905 

All We Need is Each Other: Cultivating Hope, Healing, and Resiliency Among School-based Equity Leaders

Room: 907

The Aftermath, Moving Forward!

Room: 908

Boundaries or Burnout

Room: 909

CRSE in Action: Three Years of Practice

Room: 910

Mental First Aid for Families: Recognizing and Responding to Crises from the Classroom

Room: 912

NYU Metro Center's 2025 Equity Now Conference is now receiving workshop submissions.

Submit your workshop submission for the 2025 Equity Now Conference.

Share your 2025 Equity Now Conference submission here.
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Equity Now Conference Themes

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Welcoming, Affirming and Healing School Policies and Practices

  • This conference track includes elevating district and school policies, procedures and practices that have generated educational school spaces that welcome and affirm historically marginalized students’ experiences and identities, creation of community circles and restorative practices into behavior and discipline policies, practices and procedures, creating a culturally responsive culture and climate, and centering youth voice,                                                                                                 youth are an integral and critical voice in district                                                                                                and school decision making processes.
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Decolonizing Education Practices

  • Decolonizing education practice sessions include approaches in operationalizing the tenets of critical and liberatory pedagogy, fostering curricular and instructional design and practices that centers joy and brilliance of racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students, and systemic liberatory education practices.
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Culturally Responsive Healing Centered Practices

  • The healing-centered practices in schools track  invites proposals that explore approaches to fostering emotional and mental well-being for students. educators, and caregivers. We seek sessions that address trauma, stress, and burnout, while integrating restorative practices, self-care, collective care and community-building strategies within school environments. Proposals should highlight innovative, culturally responsive approaches that promote safety, belonging,                                                                                                         and resilience in educational settings. 
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Educator Representation: Diversity Hiring Policies and Practices

Conference submissions on educator representation focus on policies and processes that have led to developing culturally responsive and sustaining hiring practices - particularly those resulting in a pipeline of  administrators, teachers and staff that mirror the demographics of students and parents/caregivers in districts and schools. This further includes developing “grow your own” programs, and revising                                                                                                         hiring practices to include youth and community                                                                                                             voices.

 

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The Equity Now Conference will offer educators, parents/caregivers, youth, community organizers, and technical assistance providers a full day of learning to engage sustainable district and school-based equity practices that center efforts to get to equity and liberatory education practices.

NYU Metro Center’s 2025 Equity Now Conference will facilitate opportunities for networking with members of educational communities who have committed to the process of transforming their                                                                                                                classrooms, schools, & districts. Equity Now                                                                                                                  attendees will walk away with clear next steps on                                                                                                          what one must do to move toward equity! 

NYU Metro Center's 2025 Equity Now Conference

The Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools is proud to announce that registration for the 2025 Equity Now Conference is officially open. The 3rd annual conference will be held again in New York City on Friday May 30, 2025

Early Bird Rate Registration, Effective until May 1st, 2025 

  • *Regular Registration Cost*: $225.00

  • Presenter Registration Cost: $200.00

  • Only Teacher Registration Cost: $135.00 (must send verification of teacher status)

  • Non-Educator Parent/Caregiver Registration Cost: $85.00

  • College Students Registration Cost  $95.00 (must send verification of student status)

  • Metro Staff: $65

Past Bird (Standard Rate) Registration, Effective until May 9th, 2025** 

  • Regular Registration Cost*: $235.00

  • Presenter Registration Cost: $210.00

  • Only Teacher Registration Cost: $155.00 (must send verification of teacher status)

  • Non-Educator Parent/Caregiver Registration Cost: $95.00

  • College Students Registration Cost:  $105.00 (must send verification of student status)

  • Metro Staff: $75

**Cancellation policy: Registration can be cancelled for a full refund up to April 30, 2025. Registration can be cancelled up to May 16, 2025 for a 50% refund. After May 17, 2025 there are NO refunds.

Learn more about Travel and Lodging options for NYU Metro Center's Equity Now Conference