UP for Learning is continuing its long-standing work with the Winooski School District’s Anti-Racism Steering Committee (ARSC) as they enter their fifth year! The group began the year by re-focusing their mission and building their group identity. New members have stepped up to join the planning team, and the group has action teams focused on their different priorities that meet regularly.

The eighteen student members gather two evenings a month with staff, administrators, school board members, and community members. The work of the group is a testament to youth-adult partnership: From the planning of dinners, to the facilitation of the meeting agendas, and to learning about Ethnic Studies curriculum, the members of the ARSC are bringing knowledge, action, and passion to their work.

Here is an update from the ARSC’s Communications Team:

An Update from the Winooski ARSC 

ARSC stands for Anti-Racism Steering Committee. We are a group of WSD students and allies, including staff, district leaders, and community members. We believe in the power of diversity, equity, student leadership, student voice, and collaboration to solve problems in our community. Our goal is to promote the creation of spaces in our community for BIPOC individuals to thrive, work together, and tell their stories. We achieve this vision through supportive teamwork and engaging in action groups that address challenges and opportunities such as:

  • Diversity in WSD staffing
  • Building a PreK-12 ethnic studies curriculum
  • Hosting educational workshops for the community
  • And offering civil rights workshops for students.

One way we are advancing our mission this year is by surveying the middle and high school students with questions about the school environment and safety from their perspectives. Using the data from the survey we plan to organize our next steps to support students the best we can.

In our efforts to uplift and empower students, we are connecting them to mentorship programs around Chittenden County. Additionally, we have been working on establishing a course proposal that integrates ethnic studies for middle and high school, promoting cultural awareness and understanding in our community. 

To share our work with more students and staff, we plan to organize a bulletin board featuring updates, upcoming events, and opportunities for involvement. We are in the process of updating our ARSC website which will serve as a resource for those interested in our endeavors. Once our website is updated there will be a survey form available for anyone wishing to share questions or concerns and we will respond accordingly. To stay updated follow our Instagram @wsd_arsc or reach out to us via email at [email protected]

With Love and Appreciation,

The ARSC

For more information about the deep connection between UP and the WSD, check out these articles: 2023-2024 year in review, 2022-2023 year in review, 2021-2022 year in review, and all UP’s News here.