On May 18, over 200 students in the Sweet Home Central School District, from Grades 4-12, convened for a first ever, district-wide student leadership summit. The inaugural event, Challenge 2 Change 2023, was an important step of the District’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) initiative, and was designed to launch and empower the “student voice.”
Themed, “Heal the Hate… Heal the World,” the leadership summit was hosted by the newly formed student group: Students ACT (Alliance for Cultural Transformation), which includes 21 student leaders from Grades 4-12.
Under the direction of the District’s DEI Chair, JoAnn Balazs, the event featured Dr. Asiaki Dede Adjei-Barrett, who provided the keynote address on “What is your story?”, and Sweet Home Class of 2005 and recent Distinguished Hall of Fame inductee, Marquis “Ten Thousand” Burton, who inspired students with his original slam poetry.
The event included several breakout sessions, facilitated by district administrators, teachers, staff, board of education members, and community partners. The workshops focused on How to Have Safe Conversations, Social Identity, and Breaking Down the Wall of Intolerance. Students were encouraged to share their stories in a safe environment and appreciate how their social identities provide the lens through which they see the world.
The event culminated with students writing personal examples of observed or experienced negative social experiences on cardboard bricks. The bricks were then used to build a physical and metaphorical, “Wall of Intolerance.” The summit concluded with students symbolically “tearing down” the wall and pledging to be agents of change. Change Agents were tasked with brainstorming strategies to eliminate hateful or hurtful messages in our school community.
The event, held at Banchetti by Rizzo’s, supported the DEI goal of the Board of Education and the District's DEI Mission: Cultivating a community where all members experience a sense of belonging.
For more information about our DEI practices, visit our page HERE.
Students ACT - Alliance for Cultural Transformation
Jay’tion Holt, GL
Mya Lipscomb, GL
Atal Jawid, HH
Endiyah Fairclough, HH
Briannah Faith, MM
Krishanu Dhar, MM
Muhamed Diedhiou, WR
Jayden Saini, WR
Thomas Hayter, MS
Elise McDuffie, MS
Mikaela Klumpp, MS
Patience Richards, MS
Samdeep Singh, MS
Jayden Ventura, MS
Elizabeth Cusack, HS
Lily Fisher, HS
Summer Mack, HS
Camryn Smith, HS
Afifa Roja, HS
Damarion Stone, HS
Hunter Tryloff, HS
Program Facilitators
Dr. Ginestre, Superintendent
Mrs. Balazs, Asst Super
Mr. Feldmann, Asst Super
Dr. Wilson, Asst Super
Ms. Shaibi, Dir Human Res
Mrs. Barillari, Dir Spec Prog
Mr. Wolf, Principal Sec Prog
Mr. Schiumo, Athletic Dir
Mr. Ryan, Principal
Mr. Polino, Principal
Ms. DeLaPlant, Principal
Mr. Perry, Principal
Mrs. Popovic, Asst Princ
Mr. Bailey, Asst Princ
Mr. Pilato, Asst Princ
Mr. Shepherd, TOSA
Dr. Luchey, Counselor
Mrs. Bruce, Teacher
Mr. Woods, Counselor
Mrs. Bennett, Teacher
Mr. Glorioso, Counselor
Mrs. Glenn, Teacher
Mrs. Buttino, Teacher
Mrs. Saini, Teacher Aide
Mrs. Januchowski, Counselor
Mrs. Mielcarek, Teacher
Mrs. Adams, Teacher
Ms. Gionis, School Psychologist
Ms. Ciezki, Social Worker
Mr. Burns, NWACC
SRO Awald, Amherst PD
Mr. Imbs, Technology Services