Events

This webinar features a conversation on the realities of the digital divide within the colonias of Texas. Colonias are housing developments along the south Texas border that are part of the rural landscape of Texas. These vibrant communities often have been denied basic services, such as drinking water, sewage treatment, paved roads, and Internet infrastructure. Currently, about 500,000 Texans live in the colonias and face the difficulties of being on the wrong side of the digital divide on a daily basis. In this bilingual session, you will hear from local residents and experts who will share stories of their experiences, what they have done to improve their communities and how they tackle connectivity challenges. Panelists Lourdes Flores, President of Arise Adelante Jordana Barton-García, Principal, Barton-García Advisors Eva Carranza, parent and...

Social emotional learning (SEL) is integral to student success in the classroom. It helps students develop the necessary skills to regulate their own emotions as well as build and maintain relationships with peers and teachers. Research shows that SEL activities can lead to “improved classroom behavior, an increased ability to manage stress and depression, and better attitudes about themselves, others and school.” Through IDRA’s Re-energizing Leadership to Achieve Greater Student Success project, led by Dr. Nilka Avilés, IDRA provided coaching to school leadership teams who saw the need for building teacher capacity in SEL strategies. In this webinar, Dr. Nilka Avilés and consultants Jeanne Cantu and Gerald Sharp will present the strategy of using interactive read alouds. Students can read about and hear how book characters respond to different behavioral...

Hosted by Student Engagement and Attendance Center (SEAC) and the IDRA EAC-South Naturally, states and school districts have rules about student attendance. But sometimes attendance policies are unfair to specific student groups. Being present for school impacts student access to instruction. It also can indicate student engagement and sense of belonging, which support academic performance. The COVID-19 pandemic caused school officials and communities to consider the most effective and meaningful approaches to measuring, collecting, reporting and using attendance data to better support students. This interactive, virtual webinar featured a panel of students, families and education agency staff who discussed various topics on authentic engagement in attendance-related practices, such as: How do schools and districts engage with students and their families in conversations about school attendance policies? How do schools and...

The Center for Educators & Schools held a conversation about how classroom censorship policies weaken the quality of education. Book bans and classroom censorship policies are sweeping the nation. This webinar conversation focused on how classroom censorship policies weaken the quality of education and negatively affect educators, students, and society at large. Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., IDRA Deputy Director of Policy, discussed what the current censorship landscape looks like today, where teachers can find resources to learn more, and what this means for the future of the teaching profession. This event was open to all educators across the country and is part of the New York Public Library’s Banned Books Week. Interested in finding out more about the Center for Educators and Schools? Visit us at nypl.org/ces or subscribe to...

Educators across the country are committed to making sure students receive a strong, truthful education in our public schools. But vague classroom censorship policies and their residual chilling effects in multiple states, aim to shut down free expression in schools. As a result, students stand to be completely unprepared to engage in thoughtful discussions of real-world issues and solutions. IDRA recently launched a new resource hub designed for educators, families and policy advocates, particularly in the U.S. South, who want to make sure students receive a strong, truthful education in our public schools. In this webinar (video below), you will… See a demo of IDRA’s new School Resource Hub for educators. The website has original and curated lesson plans and tools for teaching history and current events about race and...

IDRA issued our call for applications for our 2022-23 Education Policy Fellowship Program. Join a virtual Q&A session where you can hear directly from policy fellows about their experiences in the program and the work they accomplished within the Texas and Georgia legislatures. Listen and ask questions before applying here!   As a reminder, each fellow will receive: Training in the state legislative process, including how to employ a variety of advocacy strategies; Access to a network of educational equity advocates who have influenced generations of policy and litigation in Texas and Georgia; Real-time, real-world training during the Texas and Georgia legislative sessions; At least one policy mentor, based on fellows’ interests; Training in IDRA’s family leadership in education framework, which centers families and students in educational policy reform; Access to...

  The IDRA EAC-South brings together educational leaders, teachers and community organizers to focus on individual, institutional and systems-level work to identify and remove barriers for students. In this workshop-style convening, you will get tools and information to open access and opportunity for students, foster equitable learning environments, and increase and support pathways to culturally sustaining schools. We encourage you to form teams from your district, campus or organization to take advantage of the five strands of learning and community-building opportunities: Translanguaging for Social Justice Students Seeing Themselves: Ethnic Studies and Beyond Culturally Responsive & Sustaining Schooling Equitable Hiring Practices Equitable Education Policy & Reform This professional learning experience will provide: Power – Content delivery by leading equity experts People – Opportunities for facilitated peer discussions for school transformation Plan...

Conscientization, also known as “critical consciousness” is a popular education and social concept developed by Brazilian pedagogue and educational theorist, Paulo Freire (1970). Research shows that higher critical consciousness is associated with higher self-esteem, higher political engagement, higher professional aspirations, academic engagement and even higher academic achievement. Dr. Victor Lozada is currently using Freire’s concept of conscientization in his elementary music classroom to discuss the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. He uses many children’s books and music to discuss social change. In this webinar, you will learn about Freire’s concept of conscientization and how to use books and music to teach critical consciousness in the classroom. In addition to teaching music at a Denton ISD elementary school, Dr. Victor Lozada is an adjunct faculty member at the University of North Texas...

In San Antonio: Teachers; students; those interested in teaching ethnic studies, social justice and civil rights; families; and interested community members, join us for Cafecito & MAS, a morning of sharing, planning and dialoguing. Join us! Free event. If you have questions, please send an email to: aurelio.montemayor@idra.org or allie.salazar@idra.org

Re-engage Struggling Students by Bringing the IDRA Valued Youth Partnership Program to Your School The IDRA Valued Youth Partnership has demonstrated tremendous success helping students focus on their education and increasing the school’s holding power by focusing on students with the highest need of support. For almost four decades, the VYP has kept 35,000 students in school and positively impacted the lives of 750,000 children, families and educators! Get an overview of the program, its strong research base and steps to bring the program to your school, including how you can use federal relief funds to cover the cost. In unprecedented times such as these, schools and districts need a partner with a record of proven success, because all children are valuable, none is expendable. See the slidedeck from the...

Texas lawmakers need to hear from you! Texas’s school testing assessments and accountability systems are closely connected. Student tests are supposed to tell us how well students are learning, and the school accountability system is supposed to tell us how good our schools are. But one thing many of us can agree on is that these systems do not measure everything we want to know about students’ learning, success, and our public schools. IDRA invites you to this listening session to share your thoughts on what makes a school great, and what students want and need most to succeed. This listening session is part of a statewide campaign by Raise Your Hand Texas to speak to 10,000 Texans about what makes schools great. Participants are welcome to share thoughts at...

Though Texas has tens of thousands of emergent bilingual students with disabilities, the state has not had a teacher certification program that equips professionals to meet the needs of those students. Until now. The Texas Legislature in 2021 passed HB 2256 to create such a program. HB 2256 came out of a year-long initiative, the Texas Early Childhood English Learner Initiative*. The State Board for Educator Certification must now develop the rules and standards and is asking for input from experts like you. IDRA is holding a series of roundtable discussions to convene professionals in bilingual special education to assist. We will compile recommendations to submit at the February 11 State Board of Education meeting. This is an invitation-only event. But you are welcome to extend the invitation to your...

Digital redlining is the practice of income-based discrimination by Internet-service providers and other corporations who systematically exclude families in low-income neighborhoods from connecting to robust broadband Internet services. Digital redlining perpetuates inequities within racially marginalized groups, specifically through the use of digital technologies, digital content, and the Internet. In this webinar, we will discuss how digital redlining widens the digital divide and how the “homework gap” impacts students and their families. We will also highlight digital literacy’s role in helping students and their families navigate digital technologies and online information. Join us to hear our work on digital equity at IDRA, provide a history of digital redlining and its disproportionate impact on Black and Latinx communities, and discuss forward-facing solutions to address the digital divide in Texas. Featuring: Michelle Vega,...

IDRA José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellow, Dr. Cristóbal Rodríguez, presented his report examining the equity of college readiness across schools in Texas. He and a panel of experts discussed college readiness in math. The study, Texas is Not Financing College Readiness – Wealth and Inequities Highlighted by the Civil Rights Data Collection, specifically focuses on calculus, which is a key indicator of college readiness and is not equally and fairly accessible in Texas public schools. See flier See the symposium slidedeck See our related infographic on Math and College Readiness     hr{ border-top: 2px solid #0072CF; }

This webinar highlights recent data from IDRA that shows the impact of discipline on school outcomes. We discussed different data sources and ways to access and use data for advocacy efforts aimed at closing the school-to-prison pipeline. See the event slidedeck. The recorded video is below. See our new data dashboard: Corporal Punishment in U.S. States & School Districts. Corporal punishment does not teach or lead to improved behavior. But it does harm children. And corporal punishment is more likely to be inflicted on children of color, with Black students being most likely to be subject to corporal punishment than any other students. Visit IDRA’s End Corporal Punishment in Schools website to learn more: • Data Dashboard: Corporal Punishment in U.S. States and School Districts • Policy Brief: Stopping Harmful Corporal Punishment...

Join students, families, and other advocates to learn and talk about the issues that impact schools during IDRA’s weekly summer learning series! June 17, 2021: Whitewashing the Truth in Schools: An Update on Texas’ HB 3979 Texas’ House Bill 3979 and similar bills across the country are being used to whitewash history and limit how teachers and students can discuss racism, sexism and our country’s history of discrimination. In IDRA’s first Ed Policy Summer Camp session, we will share how these harmful bills will impact students and ways we can organize to protect learning in schools. June 24, 2021: Texas Legislative Wrap-up: Education Policy Study Hall What happened in the Texas legislative session? During this session wrap-up conversation, you are invited to learn about the policies that passed (or didn’t)...

When students return to school after this extended time away, it will be more important than ever to strengthen school-family-community relationships in order to reconnect with students, especially those who have been harder to reach during this time of distance learning. The IDRA Valued Youth Partnership has demonstrated tremendous success helping students focus on their education and increasing the school’s holding power by focusing on students with the highest need of support. Over the past 35 years, the VYP has kept 35,000 students in school and positively impacted the lives of 750,000 children, families and educators! Get an overview of the program, its strong research base and steps to bring the program to your school, including how you can use federal relief funds to cover the cost. In unprecedented times...

Proven Strategies for Re-engaging Students Who Need You the Most June 2, 2021 When schools open this fall, students and educators will carry with them the trauma of the pandemic experience. Faced with students’ increased mobility, family economic hardship, lost relationships with teachers, and lack of academic success, schools lost touch with many students. Find out key factors that keep students coming back and how you can help them feel a sense of success day after day. IDRA shows strategies that have been proven successful in the IDRA Valued Youth Partnership program and how you can integrate them into your school planning for the next school year. We also outline ways you can use federal relief funds to strengthen student engagement and increase attendance.   See eBook: Ready – Reopen...

Proven Strategies for Re-engaging Students Who Need You the Most May 20, 2021 When schools open this fall, students and educators will carry with them the trauma of the pandemic experience. Faced with students’ increased mobility, family economic hardship, lost relationships with teachers, and lack of academic success, schools lost touch with many students. Find out key factors that keep students coming back and how you can help them feel a sense of success day after day. IDRA shows strategies that have been proven successful in the IDRA Valued Youth Partnership program and how you can integrate them into your school planning for the next school year. We also outline ways you can use federal relief funds to strengthen student engagement and increase attendance. See eBook: Ready – Reopen –...

Community members made their voices be heard on HB 3979. Many constituents did not get to testify about why practical, real-life civics education is important to them. As the Texas Senate was about to debate this bill that would limit speech and engagement in Texas classrooms, we held our own hearing. Watch to see who joined us to make sure the Senate knows that teachers, students and community members deserve better. Learn more about HB 3979.  Watch the press conference on May 19, 2021. See video from our Save Civics! Virtual Town Hall Tell your Senator to vote NO!   This event is hosted by the Texas Legislative Education Equity Coalition (TLEEC), a collaborative of organizations and individuals with the mission to improve the quality of public education for all children,...

See how you can bring the Texas Chief Science Officer program to your school for free! CSOs are students in grades 6-12 elected by their peers to be liaisons for STEM in their schools and communities. In this free out-of-school-time program, students develop leadership skills to implement on-campus projects and advocate for student voice in STEM. In this webinar, Dr. Stephanie Garcia will provide an overview of the program and the easy steps for bringing it to your campus. She will be joined by CSO student Arturo, who will describe his experience and how the COVID-19 accommodations this year enabled him and other CSOs to shine. Learn more about the IDRA Texas Chief Science Officer program.

Got 15 Minutes? Take Action for Public Education! IDRA holds virtual office hours to walk you through the process of submitting public comments online Each week, committees in the Texas Legislature consider specific bills related to public education. You can add your voice to advocates across the state calling for high-quality public education for every student. With health precautions in place, most public input will occur online. You can help without missing school or work to travel to Austin. Every Monday afternoon, IDRA will help students, families, educators and community members submit their own comments on education bills being debated by Texas lawmakers that week. #ShareYourStory Bilingual event in English & Spanish What happens during IDRA’s virtual office hours? Get information on bills that will be heard by lawmakers that...

Are you interested in project-based learning but not sure where to start? Project-based learning is a transformative pedagogical method based on student-centered classrooms, but it requires teachers to adjust how they present information and facilitate learning. This IDRA webinar answers some of the most common questions about planning, implementation and best practices for project-based learning. Learn how to transform your teaching to better support your student’s learning.  

Tell Texas policymakers why they should support bilingual students! Join us in this Zoom session where IDRA will help you use social media and your telephone to advocate for emergent bilingual students (English learners). This free session will be conducted in Spanish and English.

Before COVID-10, schools in Texas struggled to prepare emergent bilingual students for college. Less than one in three (29%) graduates in the class of 2019 were deemed college-ready. And emergent bilingual students were more likely to experience chronic absenteeism with 24% missing three or more days of school. Already faced with a short teacher supply, emergent bilingual students must now navigate the complexities and hardships posed by campus closures. In this webinar, Dr. Chloe Latham Sikes outlines six recommendations in our just-released report, Creating a More Bilingual Texas – A Closer Look at Bilingual Education in the Lone Star State, that she co-authored with Chandra Kring Villanueva of Every Texan. The report provides an overview of policies, history and current issues for emergent bilingual students and bilingual/ESL education in Texas....

  Members and friends of the Texas Legislative Education Equity Coalition are holding a series of three community conversations about how we can work together to strengthen public education, particularly for students of color. This virtual event is for families, community members and advocates across the state to discuss state policies before the Texas legislative session that began in January and ends in May. We will share stories with one another and work toward a TLEEC Legislative lobby day. Schedule (Dates revised due to winter storms) TLEEC Town Hall Part 1: February 9, focusing on investing in public school students and on promoting quality bilingual education TLEEC Town Hall Part 2: March 9, focusing on meaningful assessment and fair accountability and on preparing all students for college readiness and success...

Educational leaders are juggling many priorities with the extraordinary challenges COVID-19 brought for principals and all campus administrators. This webinar explores lessons learned during the pandemic on how to provide thoughtful and effective leadership. Principals Dr. Timothy Vaughn from Edgewood ISD, Rawan Hammoudeh from San Antonio ISD and Jorge Cruz of Southwest ISD join Dr. Nilka Avilés of IDRA to discuss the competencies they have used in finding solutions to the challenges and concerns during this pandemic.   This is the third of the IDRA EAC-South’s free webinar series on reopening schools. Get details and other COVID-19 educator webinars: https://idra.news/WebinarSeries Sign up for notices of news and future IDRA webinars here: https://idra.news/Subscribe

As a student, you have immeasurable power to make a difference in the future of education. The Texas Legislature is convening in Austin between now and May to make decisions that affect your schooling. But they rarely get to hear from students and get your perspective. They need to know what students faced throughout the pandemic and your vision for your future. At this virtual summit, you and other students will hear the results of a student-led survey about their experiences with school during the pandemic, discuss major policy issues the legislature is considering and issues you think they should consider, and plan next steps for elevating student voices at the capitol. IDRA is facilitating this work, but the plans and actions are student-driven. #ForStudentsByStudents   A primary adult caregiver...

Understanding the Texas Legislature: Lege 101 – Webinar Le invitamos a un evento de IDRA que le ayudará a mejor entender como funciona la legislatura de Texas. El enfoque del taller sera como usar el poder colectivo que tenemos para presionar la legislatura y pasar leyes que apoyan la educación bilingüe. Este evento se llevará a cabo principalmente en español con subtítulos en inglés y traducción. We invite you to an IDRA event that will help you better understand how the Texas legislature functions. The focus of this workshop will be on how to use our collective power to pressure the legislature and pass laws that support bilingual education. This virtual event will be conducted in Spanish with English translation and presentation subtitles Provided through IDRA’s Education CAFEs and our Texas...

In-person student engagement with teachers is ideal for listening, speaking and other social interactions that are critical parts of language development. But virtual platforms and limited in-person engagement caused by COVID-19 precautions hinder such engagement. This webinar features a phenomenal Texas educator, Grace Delgado, executive director of multilingual services for Aldine ISD, to review programming and instructional considerations for bilingual education and serving emergent bilingual students, as well as relevant applications for virtual and remote learning. Resources Impact of the Pandemic on Bilingual Education IDRA Slidedeck Aldine ISD – K-12 Linguistic Accommodations (online learning) Strong Start 2020 Texas English Learner Program Implementation Guidance This is the third of the IDRA EAC-South’s free webinar series on reopening schools. Get details and other COVID-19 educator webinars: https://idra.news/WebinarSeries Sign up for notices of...

Mesa Comunitaria sobre la educación de los niños bilingües Join us for a community conversation about how we can work together to strengthen education for young English learner students. This virtual event is for families and interested community members across the state to discuss state policies leading into the Texas legislative session that begins in January. Hear major policy ideas from the Early Childhood English Learner Initiative that IDRA is a part of. And find out how you can advocate for young English learner students. IDRA also will share information about our new initiative, Family Advocates for Young English Learners and how you can receive continuous policy information, support, and training to contact your representatives on bilingual education policies. This event will be mostly conducted in Spanish with English captioning...

How Schools Can Help their Communities Get Counted This webinar aims to mobilize the education community to complete the census. Due to COVID-19, the U.S. Census Bureau extended operations to October 31, 2020. But the Census Bureau suddenly announced it was rolling back operations to September 30, cutting a month of much-needed time to achieve a complete and accurate census. In this webinar, we contextualize the 2020 Census and its timeline, discuss efforts over the past year, review completion data, and provide a toolkit for effective census outreach in the last month of operations. See our Everyone Counts – 2020 Census webpage for resources. Sign up for notices of news and future IDRA webinars here: https://idra.news/Subscribe hr{ border-top: 2px solid #0072CF; }

The shift to virtual learning brought on by the pandemic hits families with limited resources particularly hard. At the same time, students miss out on chances to practice leadership when they are schooling from home. In this webinar, meet teens and college students who have been helping families and their children navigate technology for school. They will share their ideas for how schools and communities can engage youth while also providing much-needed tech support in their family engagement work this year. Sign up for notices of news and future IDRA webinars here: https://idra.news/Subscribe

Fourth Webinar in our School Reopening Series Districts are working hard to develop back-to-school plans that meet the needs of all learners. They also must consider how to address the socio-emotional needs of students. Moderated by Dr. Paula Johnson, Director, IDRA EAC-South, this panel of student advocates and educational leaders will discuss policy recommendations for district decision-makers on reopening schools that embrace restorative justice, ethnic studies and culturally responsive practices.     This is the third of the IDRA EAC-South’s free webinar series on reopening schools. Get details and other COVID-19 educator webinars: https://idra.news/WebinarSeries Sign up for notices of news and future IDRA webinars here: https://idra.news/Subscribe

Third Webinar in Our School Reopening Series Hear from parents, grandparents and caregivers sharing their concerns and questions about what the future holds for reopening schools and students’ emotional wellbeing. Connecting with families will be vital for educators as they welcome students back in a world changed by COVID-19, immigration and the Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo movements. Featuring: Mercedes Bristol, executive director, Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Lourdes Flores, president, ARISE Support Center Eric López, parent of a child who is active in Mexican American Studies student support Matt Montaño, Texas Education Agency Deputy Commissioner Karina Quesada-Leon, parent & member, IDRA Education CAFE in Houston ISD Dr. Courtney Robinson, founder & executive director, Excellence & Advance Foundation Dr. Kazandra Wilson, public information manager, Arkansas Department of Education Moderated by Aurelio M....

Second Webinar in Our School Reopening Series Our panel of advocates and practitioners discuss the needs of students on issues such as COVID-19, school safety, immigration, and the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements that schools will need to prepare for as they reopen. Featuring: Dr. Cherise Rohr-Allegrini, Epidemiologist Hon. Aicha Davis, State Board of Education Hon. Marisa Pérez-Díaz, State Board of Education Lisa Marie Gomez, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and My Brother’s Keeper – San Antonio Gylon Jackson, Black Lives Matter – San Antonio Moderator: Dr. Chloe Latham Sikes, Deputy Director of Policy This is second in the IDRA EAC-South’s free webinar series on reopening schools. Get details and other COVID-19 educator webinars: https://idra.news/WebinarSeries Sign up for notices of news and future IDRA webinars here: https://idra.news/Subscribe

First Webinar in Our School Reopening Series What does the future hold for school re-openings, mental health and student emotional well-being in the wake of a myriad of issues facing today’s youth? Our student panelists will help us understand the needs of their peers on issues, such as COVID-19, school safety, immigration, and the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements. Featuring:  Juliana Cruz, senior, Dallas ISD Taylor Ellingberb-McCloud, senior, Dallas ISD Melanie Harrell, recent graduate, San Antonio ISD Gracie Hernández, recent graduate, Northside ISD Kennedy Kearns, senior, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD Dejia Nunn, sophomore, Judson ISD Lena Rivas, freshman, Northside ISD Gisselle Reyes, senior, Dallas ISD Lola Sánchez, recent graduate, San Antonio ISD Clarissa Tavera, junior, San Antonio ISD Moderator: Ana Ramón, IDRA Deputy Director of Advocacy This is first in...

See how you can bring the Texas Chief Science Officer program to your school. Are you interested to learn more about IDRA’s Texas Chief Science Officer Program? CSOs are students in grades 6-12 elected by their peers to be liaisons for STEM in their schools and communities. They learn leadership skills to implement on-campus projects and advocate for student voice in STEM. See this webinar with Dr. Stephanie Garcia, the Texas Regional Lead for the CSO Program, as she answers questions! This was an open Q&A discussion for families, students, educators and community organizations. We would love for you to join the conversation and learn more about how to join or champion this incredible student-driven program. Students leading students in STEM! CSOs are students in grades 6-12 elected by their...

Most people know that Google Classroom is a free online classroom management system, developed by Google for schools. But being a powerful and popular tool, doesn’t necessarily keep teachers from experiencing bumps along the way in. In this webinar, get tips on how to use Google Classroom more effectively from the perspectives of a teacher, parent and student. See webinar slidedeck (PDF) We also have separately the two video segments where students show how they use Google Classroom (see below). Sign up for notices of news and future IDRA webinars here: https://idra.news/Subscribe These webinars are part of the IDRA EAC-South’s free webinar series on Equitable Practices for Online Learning. Get details and other COVID-19 educator webinars: https://idra.news/WebinarSeries

Hear how San Antonio ISD faced the digital divide to ensure learning continued for their students during COVID-19. Eva Mendoza, executive director of information technology, will describe the work that San Antonio ISD performed to bridge the digital divide in her district.  She will discuss the challenges, successes and what’s next. Also, Clarissa Ramon from Google Fiber will share how funders can support your district when immediate needs arise. Sign up for notices of news and future IDRA webinars here: https://idra.news/Subscribe These webinars are part of the IDRA EAC-South’s free webinar series on Equitable Practices for Online Learning. Get details and other COVID-19 educator webinars: https://idra.news/WebinarSeries

Explore how to leverage online platforms to make high-quality science learning interactive and hands-on from home. Dr. Stephanie Garcia and Michelle Vega showcase four online platforms for teaching science concepts virtually: Educreations, Explain Everything, Quizlet and Padlet. They show how to use these tools through an online learning module template focused on Newton’s Laws of Motion, a middle school science concept. Slide deck – Teaching Science in Virtual Learning Environments     Sign up for notices of news and future IDRA webinars here: https://idra.news/Subscribe These webinars are part of the IDRA EAC-South’s free webinar series on Equitable Practices for Online Learning. Get details and other COVID-19 educator webinars: https://idra.news/WebinarSeries

COVID-19 School Response Webinar IDRA’s Texas Chief Science Officer students have an inspirational message to share how they have been coping with COVID-19 challenges and distance learning. These youth STEM ambassadors have not stopped their work to enrich a STEM culture despite their school and community closures. Instead, they have insightful perspectives on how they have been navigating these challenges, how they have stayed connected, and how they keep innovating and creating during this time. Join us as we elevate student voices and share their student success stories. Join Dr. Stephanie Garcia, director of IDRA’s Texas Chief Science Officer program, with special guest students: CSO Isela, 12th Grade, McCollum High School, Harlandale ISD CSO Shreya, 10th Grade, Keystone School CSO Elizabeth, 8th Grade, Northeast ISD STEM Academy (Nimitz MS) See...

COVID-19 School Response Webinar In the final installment of this three-part webinar series, trainers present steps for students to select from their journal entries one issue important to them. Students will expand their writing into a letter to someone in authority suggesting how the issue and its outcome could have been improved upon. Featuring Dr. Nilka Avilés, IDRA, with trainers Gerald Sharp, M.A., Edgewood ISD retired teacher and IDRA consultant, and Jeanne Cantu, M.A., Texas A&M University–San Antonio adjunct faculty and IDRA consultant Slide deck – From Journaling and Personal Narratives to Letter Writing – ELAR Webinar Part 3   Sign up for notices of news and future IDRA webinars here: https://idra.news/Subscribe This webinar is part of IDRA’s free webinar series on Equitable Practices for Online Learning to support educators...

COVID-19 School Response Webinar In the second of this three-part webinar series, trainers demonstrate a process where students select one of their journal entries to expand it into a fully developed personal narrative, reflecting the significance of the COVID-19 event. Featuring Dr. Nilka Avilés, IDRA, with Abydos trainers Gerald Sharp, M.A., Edgewood ISD retired teacher and IDRA consultant, and Jeanne Cantu, M.A., Texas A&M University–San Antonio adjunct faculty and IDRA consultant Slide deck – From Journaling to Personal Narratives – ELAR Webinar Part 2   Sign up for notices of news and future IDRA webinars here: https://idra.news/Subscribe This webinar is part of IDRA’s free webinar series on Equitable Practices for Online Learning to support educators as you continue student learning during this unprecedented coronavirus (COVID-19) event. Get details and see...

COVID-19 School Response Webinar Lead your students as they create a primary source for future historians. In Part 1 of this three-part webinar series, trainers outlined literacy lessons adaptable for all grades as students use journal writing to record their responses to a pandemic that has upended their school year. Featuring Dr. Nilka Avilés, IDRA, with trainers Gerald Sharp, M.A., Edgewood ISD retired teacher and IDRA consultant, and Jeanne Cantu, M.A., Texas A&M University–San Antonio adjunct faculty and IDRA consultant Slide deck – Journal Writing About the Present for the Future – ELAR Webinar Part 1 Sign up for notices of news and future IDRA webinars here: https://idra.news/Subscribe This webinar is part of IDRA’s free webinar series on Equitable Practices for Online Learning to support educators as you continue student...

Project-based learning (PBL) is a powerful approach for educators to use with distance learning because it creates quality home learning experiences. Through hands-on experiences, students can explore, create, engage and connect what they are learning to the real-world. Join us as we explain PBL components of this interdisciplinary and inquiry-based learning approach with an equity lens and discuss applications of PBL across the curriculum. Join Dr. Stephanie Garcia, IDRA’s STEM and gender equity education specialist, as she hosts a practical conversation with our guests: Ryan Beltrán, Founder, Elequa Dr. Carmen Fies, UTSA Associate Professor of STEM Education and Instructional Technologies David Padilla, Teacher, Dwight STEM Academy, South San Antonio ISD Resources Slide deck – PBL at Home and Across the Curriculum     This webinar is part of IDRA’s free webinar series on...

Get some tips you can use right away! Compare ways of supporting students in Google Classroom in shared spaces versus virtual learning environments. And see how to use Zoom Whiteboard, Explain Everything, and Google Classrooms and Training. Join Dr. Paula N. Johnson, director of the IDRA EAC-South as she hosts a practical conversation with our guests: Heather Aguilar, elementary teacher, Judson ISD Takiesha Martínez, middle school math teacher, San Antonio ISD Susan Hernández, high school math teacher, Northside ISD Resources Math Songs by NumbeRock Free Reading Anchor Charts on Teachers Pay Teachers Explain Everything – Interactive whiteboard app that is compatible with PC, Mac and iPad. Engage your students with with screencasting whiteboard videos. Record everything to create explanations, media-rich presentations, provide feedback, follow-ups, and meeting takeaways. Share them as...

The homework gap is not a new problem. But with the move to system-wide distance learning, it’s not just a homework gap any longer. This webinar presents ways to support students who do not have internet access or computer. Resources Slide deck – Strategies for Offline Learning during COVID-19 Crisis Charter Communications offers free internet for new households with college or K-12 students. To enroll call 1-844-488-8395. Installation fees will be waived for new student households. Texas Educational Agency shares guidance to school districts on providing free internet for students. How can we work for equity & access in challenging times? Webinar by STEM Learning Ecosystem Shared Google Drive folder   This webinar is part of IDRA’s free webinar series on Equitable Practices for Online Learning to support educators as...

Get practical solutions to addressing the digital divide for your students. This webinar will explore immediate and sustainable long-term strategies that preserve the integrity of district fiscal policies. Featuring Jordana Barton, MPA, Federal Reserve Bank, email Rene Gonzales, Lit Communities, email Terrence Wilson, J.D., IDRA, email Michelle Martínez Vega, IDRA, email Slide deck – Digital Divide: Connectivity, Infrastructure and Devices Slide deck – Community Broadband Solutions in Response to COVID 19 Remind app Free Conference Call.com  Google Support – Offline Access  This webinar is part of IDRA’s free webinar series on Equitable Practices for Online Learning to support educators as you continue student learning during this unprecedented coronavirus (COVID-19) event. Get details and see past webinars: https://idra.news/WebinarSeries. This series is provided through the IDRA EAC-South.

This webinar helps teachers rethink their lesson plans for an online platform, including resources like teacher-created YouTube channels and explainer videos, tools for sharing resources with your peers, and ways of working with your district to ensure students have access. Slidedeck – Equitable Practices for Teaching Online Sign Up for Free Zoom Account https://zoom.us/signup Zoom Support Center https://support.zoom.us/ Sandbox Site https://zoom.us/test   This webinar is part of IDRA’s free webinar series on Equitable Practices for Online Learning to support educators as you continue student learning during this unprecedented coronavirus (COVID-19) event. Get details and see past webinars: https://idra.news/WebinarSeries This series is provided through the IDRA EAC-South.

Meet the Student Panelists – Future Inventors, Innovators and Entrepreneurs IDRA helped to coordinate the opening session of the STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice Convening on March 2, 2020. Students kicked off the event with a student panel discussion followed by individual student STEM talks Those interested in following up with a student can contact Stephanie Garcia, IDRA’s STEM and Gender Equity Education Specialist and director of IDRA’s Texas Chief Science Officer program (stephanie.garcia@idra.org). Shreya Chaudhary, 10th Grade  A student at Keystone School, Shreya Chaudhary loves engineering and programming, and she constantly strives to use her skills to better the world around her. As an IDRA Chief Science Officer, she started the FIRST Robotics Club in Keystone and participates in STEM activities, such as the science bowl and science...

When you think of San Antonio, you think the Alamo, the Riverwalk, the Spurs, tourism, Mexican cuisine. You don’t necessarily think Black culture. The African American population is only 7%, which is one of the smallest for a U.S. city of this size. But there is a rich Black history here in San Antonio known to few. On this historic tour of the city’s “Eastside,” we strive to shed light on this important story by visiting some of San Antonio’s most notable African American landmarks and locations. We will take a ride to visit over 18 monumental sites significant to the Black community here in the Alamo City, including: Carver Cultural Community Center (formerly the Colored Branch Library) – originally erected in 1918, as a community center for African Americans...

We’d love to see you at our Open House if you’re in the area!