Friday Institute Hosts Statewide Virtual Educational Equity Conference

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation will be hosting its first-ever educational equity conference, the NC Conference for Educational Equity, on July 21-22. This two-day virtual conference for K-12 North Carolina educators will focus on rethinking the current educational system, disrupting a broken system and developing innovative practices, policies and processes that create equitable outcomes for every student in North Carolina. Educators from across the state will learn about the causes of systemic barriers to student success and critically assess their own biases. 

“We wanted to provide a space for North Carolina’s educators to exchange ideas, challenge prevailing ideals, and walk away with a new perspective and ready to take action,” said Patricia Hilliard, Ph.D., research scholar at the Friday Institute and one of the conference’s organizers. “Featuring sessions from NC’s educational leaders, we hope this conference will provide the high-quality professional development and resources educators need right now and for years to come.”

Throughout the conference, participants will select from a variety of interactive sessions that focus on the multiple facets of student identities, such as race, gender and culture.

Keynote speakers include Tru Pettigrew and Tony Godwin. Pettigrew is the founder and president of Tru Access, which serves organizations by helping them bridge gaps across racial, generational and relational divides. Godwin retired in January 2019 as the chief of police for the town of Cary, North Carolina. During the last 5 years of his career, Godwin found his passion for building bridges between law enforcement and communities of color, which is the work he continues today through his partnership with Pettigrew at Tru Access. 

Learn more about the NC Conference for Educational Equity here.

The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to lead the transition to next-generation education systems that will prepare students for success in the digital-age world. It conducts research, develops educational resources, provides professional development programs for educators, advocates to improve teaching and learning, and helps inform policymaking. The Friday Institute is a part of the NC State College of Education. Visit fi.ncsu.edu to learn more.