Participants from 10 different ERCBNA schools pose for a picture at the 2nd Advocacy Workshop in Chicago.
The second ERCBNA Advocacy Workshop was held from October 18-21, 2018 at the Cabrini Retreat Center in Des Plains, Illinois. 13 participants (teachers, administrators and staff members) representing 10 ERCBNA schools shared their experiences with and knowledge of advocacy at the workshop. The weekend was spent learning about and exploring the idea of advocacy and what it means for our schools and communities in the ERCBNA Network. This exploration included a number of specific topics to illustrate the ways in which our network can build upon our charitable efforts with the marginalized to work towards advocating to change the systems that create the injustices we encounter.
Palma School’s Jim Micheletti (first on left) and Mia Mirassou (2nd from left) present on their work with restorative justice, prisoners and the Palma School community.
The group was blessed with the opportunity to hear from two members of Palma School’s community, Jim Micheletti and Mia Mirassou, who shared their work in supporting and advocating for those imprisoned in California. (Click here to hear one of the men they’ve worked with extensively, Johnny Howe, speak)
The group also brainstormed and created ways in which they can implement specific advocacy projects in their own schools and communities. From the workshop, the group hopes that all schools in the ERCBNA network will participate in a project surrounding advocacy.
More information on this project, and how your school can get involved is featured here.
Thank you to the participants who traveled so far to attend and for their wonderful insights into finding ways to advocate in our communities.