CCRE Collective

Overview

• Four foundational workshops designed to build your capacity for equitable systems change
• Four Communities of Practice that facilitate real-time application of skills and knowledge
• Four Coaching for Equity Circles that provide both direct coaching for equity experiences while building your capacity to coach others
• Insights and tools to navigate transformation in an organizational context
• A cohort-based model designed to foster connections and relationships that will sustain you personally and professionally in the journey towards a more equitable world

Timeline

The timeline below is estimated based on last year’s schedule,

Our Model

• Foundational workshops will take place in September 2022, November 2022, January 2023, and May 2023 (3 hours each, during work hours)
• Communities of Practice will take place in October 2022, December 2022, and March 2023 (2 hours each, during work hours)
• Coaching for Equity Circles will take place in October 2022, November 2022, February 2023, and April 2023 (2 hours each, during work hours)

Our workshops, Communities of Practice, and coaching sessions will focus on four foundational equity elements: 

Understanding Racism: Then and Now
This foundational session will deepen participants’ understanding of the origins and current-day manifestations of racism in American society. This grounding knowledge will be used to explore effective anti-racism practices and policies.

Push-out, Erasure, and Criminalization in Education Settings
Participants will explore how BIPOC, poor, disabled, and LGBTQ+ children are disproportionately pushed out of education settings. We will critically analyze how institutions, policies, practices, and mindsets often protect and sustain dominant culture to the detriment of historically excluded youth in schools.

Anti-Racist Practice and Designing for Brilliance
In this session, participants will develop/deepen the mindsets, skills, and practices that can interrupt inequitable practices and policies. We will use research-backed, strengths-based approaches to design for the brilliance of all students.

Strategizing for Equity
In this final session, participants will develop strategic plans and action steps that will be used in their organizations to advance equity. We will reflect on our learning journey and commit to maintaining a network of support as people lead for equity in their communities.

Expectations

What you can expect from us:

• Experienced and caring facilitators with a deep investment in your growth and success
• A holding environment where people are encouraged to practice, test, and grow in their skillset while being held accountable for their energy and impact
• An eagerness to learn and grow from your expertise and feedback
• Reduced program rates for eligible partner organizations*

What you can expect to experience:

• Research-based programming that is firmly rooted in the principles of adult learning
• Action-oriented programming that results in the development of strategic plans and action steps
• An intimate group experience where vulnerability fuels growth and change; a lifelong network of equity-minded professionals in your field
• Discomfort, challenge, community, laughter, and love

What we expect from you:

• A $12,500–$17,500 institutional investment for a team of three from your organization (see next tab for additional details on pricing; early applicants are eligible for a $500 discount).”

*Reduced program rates made possible by generous CCRE partners.

Program Cost

Our program requires a $12,500-$17,500 institutional investment for a team of three from your organization. Actual cost is determined based on annual operating budget. Discounted pricing is available to early applicants. See the sliding scale below for more details.

Collective Sliding Scale Pricing

How to Apply

Please follow the link below to submit an application.

Early bird applications are due May 27, 2022. Selected early applicants will be notified by June 3, 2022, and are asked to confirm their participation by June 10. General applications are due August 12, 2022. Selected general applicants will be notified by August 19, 2022, and are asked to confirm their participation by September 2.

Apply Now

If you have any questions that are not addressed in the FAQ or elsewhere on the CCRE Collective website, please feel free to contact us at ccre@bankstreet.edu.

• Is the CCRE Collective intended exclusively for those working in early childhood educational settings?
  No. CCRE has worked with organizations that have served or whose work impacts children across the birth-to-21 spectrum. The Collective is open to all organizations that are invested in equitable systems change. Educators across all age groups may apply, as can those who work with adults.
  
• Are independent school educators welcome to participate in the CCRE Collective?
  Yes. All educators and educational organizations are welcome to apply to the Collective.
• Can educators apply independently to the Collective if they cannot access organizational funding?
  This year, we are committing to the format of three participating staff from six organizations. Eligibility requirements are subject to change in future iterations of the program.
• Who from our organization should we select to participate in the CCRE Collective?
  When selecting three people to represent your organization, we encourage participants to think beyond hierarchical models of power and consider horizontal, collective, and community power. For example, this could mean that instead of picking an executive director or principal and two deputy directors or assistant principals to represent the organization, you might consider selecting an executive director/principal, parent leader, curriculum developer, or classroom teacher. In addition to selecting a range of stakeholders, we are interested in participants who are motivated and passionate about equity work.
• Is the CCRE Collective open to candidates from outside of the United States?
  While most of the content will be based in a US context, we believe programming is relevant to all parts of the world. In fact, one of our session designers lives in Denmark. There will be several group classes and cohort-based experiences that will happen during work hours in a US time zone. If your organization can commit to the timing of the sessions and attend all sessions, we encourage you to apply.
• Will the CCRE Equity Snapshot be part of the CCRE Collective programming? (The Equity Snapshot is a diagnostic tool that measures the strengths, areas of growth, and resources of an organization with respect to equitable practice.)
  No. The CCRE Collective has its own curriculum, which is designed for participants to make connections to their work and reflect on their organizations’ equity strengths, areas of growth, and resources throughout the course of the program. Organizations that are looking for a one- to two-year-long engagement that includes an equity snapshot and professional learning for up to 30 staff and community members should reach out to ccre@bankstreet.edu to discuss partnership opportunities.
• Will there be just one cohort of 30 people or will there be more?
  This year, there will be one cohort of 30 people (three participants per organization, for 10 organizations in total). Program size may increase in future iterations of the program.
• What time of day will the CCRE Collective’s engagements be held?
  All sessions will be held during standard business hours (ET). Participating organizations should anticipate protecting cohort members’ time during work hours to take part in the workshops, communities of practice, and coaching for equity circles.
• Where can I learn more about CCRE’s work and approach?
  You can learn more about CCRE and our work on our website
• Who will we be working with?
  The CCRE Collective experience will be facilitated by the CCRE team members below:
  • Megan Pamela Ruth Madison (she, her) is a facilitator and author based in New York City (unceded land of the Lenape people*). When she’s not working on finishing up her dissertation, she works part-time as a trainer for the Center for Racial Justice in Education, the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute, and Bank Street’s Center on Culture, Race & Equity.  Megan recently completed a term on the governing board of the National Association for the Education of Young Children where she contributed to the development of the recent position statement on Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education. Together with her extended family and community, she loves reading, eating ice cream, and organizing with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ).
    *To learn more, visit the Manna-hatta Fund website
  • Dr. Veronica Benavides (she, her) is an experienced educator, researcher, facilitator, change management strategist, and leadership development specialist. She received her doctorate in education leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education. For the past decade, she has worked across international settings to improve outcomes for children, clients, and communities through strengths-based strategies. She is passionate about building a more just and equitable world. She currently lives in Copenhagen with her curious children and supportive partner. She enjoys winter bathing, yoga, historical fiction, home-cooked meals, and red wine.
  • Takiema Bunche Smith (she, her) has worked for over two decades in support of children, families, and educational programs and systems through her work as a teacher, teacher educator, curriculum director, parent activist, and executive leader. Her life’s work has been guided by a deep commitment to racial equity, social justice, and a belief that centering the histories and perspectives of marginalized people can support individuals, institutions, and systems to become more equitable for all. She is currently executive director of the Center on Culture, Race & Equity.
  • Maried Rivera Nieves (she, her) is a project manager with the Center on Culture, Race & Equity. She has four years of experience working in teams to develop learning experiences around racial justice and educational equity designed for educators across a variety of organizations and roles. As project manager, she supports equity specialists in developing and refining curricula for professional learning, along with program implementation support.
    
• How will you select applicants?
  Our selection rubric outlines the criteria for selection.
• When is the application deadline?
  There are two application phases this year. The early bird application deadline is Friday, May 27, 2022. The general application deadline is Friday, August 12, 2022. Submit an application here