Help Us Tackle Racism

We are raising funds to develop a more inclusive educational experience for everyone. Please donate if you can, and then fill out the survey below, which was developed by our Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee to help us better serve our community.

The JEDI Fund will help support the following:

• Adding closed captioning to all videos to better support deaf students or those who are hard-of-hearing.
• Translating all workbooks, videos, posters, and support materials into Spanish.
• Recreating 4 workbooks and 20 educational videos with diverse cartoon characters, which will include new content that addresses the racial bias surrounding emotional expression and the impact it has on the safety and wellbeing of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQ+ and Immigrant communities.
• Create new "Let's Talk About" video content addressing systemic racism, sexism, ableism, trauma, intersectionality, white fragility, and toxic positivity which will be useful and accessible to all families, regardless of race.
• Offering content for free to low-income BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and Immigrant children and their families.  

Meet Our JEDI Committee

( JEDI = Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion )

Kiesha Jackson

Founder & Executive Director of Caleb's Kids 

"No one is born racist. Racism is a learned ideology of superiority and hate. How does one know that something wrong if that's what they're taught? Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programming impacts racism in the way racism is displayed and expressed in emotion and emotionally related actions. It is important that teachings, learnings, facilitation, workbooks, and all other educational aspects provide an individual SEL cultural lens that speaks to all populations. My hope is that SEL educational tools will continue to evolve, and challenge the normalcy of the guidelines thereof. By doing this, we have an even more robust body of work that is evidence based and effective for many generations to come."

Favorite Anti-Racist Resources: Teaching Tolerance, Layla F. Saad

Cecilia Del Cid

Intersectional Environmental Justice Practitioner & Forest Manager

"I am part of the JEDI committee because we live in a racist, sexist, antigay, anti-trans, antimuslim, anti-immigrant society that has implemented racist policies that impact children of diverse backgrounds in different and, many times, detrimental ways. The data show that black girls experience disproportional exclusionary discipline across educational levels in what is known as the-school-to-prison pipeline or the-school-to-confinement pathways. So, if Black, Indigenous and Students of Color are having a different experience when expressing some of the most challenging emotions (like anger, frustration, irritation, etc.), creating programming that doesn’t bring to light these biases and the fundamental beliefs that support them is causing more harm than good. If we invest time and resources into providing the necessary SEL skills to little ones and their families, we are transforming how our communities and societies will be weaved in the future. I am involved in this work because I am invested in restoration and regeneration: of forests, of intimate relationships, of family relationships, of communities, of our society, and our world." 

Favorite Anti-Racist Resources: Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Bell Hooks, Angela Davis, Monique Morris, Mariame Kaba, Adrienne Maree Brown, Bryan Stevenson, Ibram X. Kendi, Rachel Elizabeth Cargle, African American Policy Forum

Ace Barnes

Engineer and Program/Content Developer at Lockheed Martin

"The JEDI committee provides an opportunity to contribute new programming to help heal the discrimination in our communities. We cannot continue the racist path we’ve been on because the infrastructure that was set up doesn’t work with the new population which is more open, anti-racist, and inter-racial than it's ever been. We are hurting ourselves by being so closed minded and need to embrace that change will come and it will come with a lot of social emotional learning. Our committee’s focus on Social Emotional Learning will provide tools and develop skills for children and adults to enrich their interpersonal relationships and shift our social and civic paradigms together."

Favorite Anti-Racist Resources:  The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, Between the World and Me

Jonathan Goodridge

Technical Assistant & Project Manager at Lockheed Martin

"Like many other people – and as a result of current events – I have had a desire to do something. Prior to COVID-19, I was active in STEM related educational support for children of all ages, and the JEDI Committee seemed like a good challenge and opportunity to combat racism through Social Emotional Learning (SEL). The inability to understand one's emotions inhibits appropriate communication when confronted with conflicting opinions or perspectives. As a result, it becomes difficult to have relatively calm, open minded conversations, and people can become solidified in a position leading to unproductive interactions. SEL provides a framework to conduct level headed conversations that makes it easier for people to connect, understand one another and support an environment that celebrates or respects the uniqueness of individuals. My vision for the future is one where individuals feel comfortable to be themselves and can exercise more empathy. Empathy does not equal weakness and I think having control or awareness of your emotions allows you to grow, to fairly consider the opinions of others, and to build relationships with people different from yourself."

Favorite Anti-Racist Resources: James Baldwin, John Lewis, The Conscious Kid, Ibram X. Kendi, 13th

Enow Neba Ayuk Ebot

Senior Engineer at Lockheed Martin

"Racism in my opinion has become, to a good extent, a function of ignorance and misinformation of the underlying systemic discrimination that has existed in this country for hundreds of years. Someone with an outstanding character with access only to misinformation would unfortunately still make racist comments and decisions. SEL curricula should be partnered with an anti-racism curriculum that provides adequate and accurate accountability of the racial historical contexts that have plagued this country. The task currently facing our country in overcoming its racial divide is enormous and looks almost impossible. It would take the collective effort of many individual contributions towards this cause to help change the current state of the country. This is an opportunity for me to contribute a little bit towards this massive end goal. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but one brick at a time. I hope some families will learn from this curriculum so that they are better positioned to help our society move towards a brighter and fair society for all. "

Favorite Anti-Racist Resources: There isn’t one particular resource I have encountered that covers everything. Different topics are best addressed by different people.

Anne Kubitsky

CEO & Founder of Look for the Good Project

"I am so grateful that I am starting to wake up to my own white fragility and move through the process of change to develop more helpful and inclusive content through Look for the Good Project. I never realized how much politeness and positivity can contribute to systems of oppression, whether they be racist, sexist, anti-immigrant, or anti-gay. Until these systems are dismantled on a societal level, individual acts of kindness are not enough. We must take a stand against the system itself which is creating the problem. I am doing what I can through Look for the Good Project by tackling forced positivity, which is more commonly known as toxic positivity. Forced positivity happens when we try to control or hide our true feelings, and only experience positive 'feel good' emotions. When we force positivity on ourselves and others, we disconnect with our inner world and become emotionally fragile - unable to cope with criticism, conflict, or even acknowledge larger issues such as systemic racism or sexism. I am excited to be able to prepare the way for deeper conversations around racism through the SEL programming we are offering."

Favorite Anti-Racist Resources: Scaffolded Working Document for White Folks, Black Lives Matter, Robin DiAngelo, 21-Day Equity Challenge, Guide to Allyship, Parent Toolkit

Step Inside the Circle and Learn About an Amazing Organization Called the Compassion Prison Project 

The JEDI Committee is committed to challenging the “school-to-prison pipeline,” a disturbing national trend wherein traumatized children are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems.