2013 MSAN Student Conference Seeks to Give Students “Courage to Act”
September 25, 2013
Madeline Hafner, Minority Student Achievement Network Director
Hundreds of high school students from across the country are convening in Amherst, Mass. from Sept. 25-28 for the 2013 Minority Student Achievement Network Student Conference, a gathering designed to develop student leaders dedicated to closing academic achievement gaps in the nation’s schools.
The four-day gathering was organized by the Minority Student Achievement Network (MSAN), a project based in the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, a part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Education.
MSAN is a national coalition of multiracial, suburban-urban school districts that have come together to understand and eliminate racial achievement gaps that persist in their districts. Headed by Madeline Hafner since its creation in 1999, MSAN has worked fervently to achieve the parallel goals of eliminating racial achievement gaps while ensuring all students achieve to high levels. To this end, MSAN districts work collaboratively to conduct and publish research, analyze policies, and examine practices that influence the academic performance of students of color.
MSAN’s student conference is taking place on the campus of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst this year and is being hosted by Amherst Regional Public Schools, a founding member of MSAN. It features intensive leadership training and community building for students from 22 districts across 12 states.
The keynote speaker for this year’s conference is Calvin Terrell, founder of Social Centric, a transformational educator who helps empower youth to create safe spaces in high school communities where social justice work can take root and flourish. Students will also spend time learning from Rosa Clemente, a community organizer and activist whose work focuses on supporting youth of color across various media, political, and academic outlets. The idea of developing cultural connections will be highlighted throughout the conference as students participate in a session with The Genki Spark, a multi-generational Asian women’s performance troupe that uses drumming, spoken word, dance, and personal stories to inspire creativity, build community, and promote cultural pride to further a world of respect for all.
In addition, students will be enhancing their college success strategies and touring the campuses of the members of the Five Colleges Consortium – Hampshire College, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Smith College, Mount Holyoke, and Amherst College.
The ultimate goal of the MSAN Student Conference is to prepare and support students as equity leaders in their own communities. This year’s conference theme is “Take the Road Less Traveled: Courage to Act.” Participants will engage in discussions about barriers students of color face in America’s schools, brainstorm solutions and strategies to eliminate these barriers, and craft plans of action to implement these strategies for change.
More information is available here.
