Reimagining Educational Spaces for Black Girls
CARES assessment tool launch event
Every day, Black girls face unfair challenges in schools, including being perceived as loud, angry, and aggressive and facing "adultification” bias, where adults perceive Black girls to be older and more mature than they are.
This often leads to punitive policies under which Black girls are punished more harshly than other students and creates a school environment where Black girls feel unsafe and that hinders success—increasing Black girls’ risk of poor mental health, being pushed out of school altogether, and potentially bringing them into contact with the juvenile legal system.
But change is possible.
The CARES (Creating, Affirming, Responsive, Equitable, Schools) Initiative aims to end school pushout by transforming schools into the nurturing, caring, and supportive educational spaces that Black girls & gender-expansive youth and all students deserve, where they can grow and thrive. We provide schools with essential tools, resources, and training to enhance educators' awareness and commitment to policies and practices that affirm the identities of all students.
Join us for a two-part webinar series launching the CARES Initiative hosted by Tenaj Moody, our director of capacity building and learning.
Session 1: November 6
In this session, you will be introduced to the CARES assessment tool. Developed with insights from Black girls and gender-expansive youth, this tool helps schools implement policies and programs that support mental health and well-being for all students. Hear directly from educators at Brooklyn Emerging Leaders Academy and Democracy Prep Public School about their experiences using the tool and how it has empowered their approach to supporting Black girls in their schools.
Session 2: November 13
In the second session, learn from the adult advisory experts who contributed to the CARES assessment tool’s development. Discover how it addresses gaps in supporting Black girls' mental health and explore the innovative resources it offers.
Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of creating affirming and equitable educational spaces. Join us for the CARES Initiative launch event! Together, we can foster safety, belonging, well-being, and opportunities for every student, especially Black girls and gender-expansive youth.
Learn more about the CARES Initiative at https://www.nbwji.org/cares-initiative.
The CARES Initiative is generously funded by the New York Women's Foundation and the Tow Foundation.
Session 1
Wednesday, November 6
3:00 - 4:30 pm EST
Session 2