The National Federation for Just Communities (NFJC) of Western New York led a racial healing circle workshop for students in the college’s Western New York Teacher Residency (WNYTR) program on October 25.
NFJC President Rene Petties-Jones and NFJC Youth and Community Engagement Director Kenneth Vargas, presented the benefits of racial healing circles for K-12 students and practical steps for teacher residents to implement these circles in their classrooms. Residents had the opportunity to participate in their own racial healing circles and explore concepts of personal identity, racial stereotyping and conflict resolution. This unique event brought together cohorts of the WNYTR program, with some residents just starting the program and others already serving as full-time teacher assistants in Buffalo partner schools.
This event was co-hosted by the Western New York Teacher Residency Program and the Center for Urban Education and is part of a monthly series to promote connections between teacher residents and the local community.
Submitted by: Christyn Sullivan, graduate assistant, Teacher Education and Leadership
