BRIEFING PAPER

You Can't Fix What You Don't Look At: Acknowledging Race in Addressing Racial Discipline Disparities

by Prudence Carter, Russell Skiba, Mariella Arredondo, & Pika Pollock

 

 

The Gardner Center is accepting applications for two positions at this time:

 

JOB DESCRIPTION

Policy Analyst - Mixed Methods

 

JOB DESCRIPTION

Policy Analyst - Quantitative

 

 

Liz Newman has joined our staff as a Senior Community Engagement Associate. Liz brings a unique background to her work at the Gardner Center that includes consulting with nonprofits, foundations, school districts, and public agencies in the areas of organizational effectiveness, community engagement, communication solutions, and creative documentation. Liz holds a BS from Stanford University and an M.Arch from U.C. Berkeley. She had time to answer a few questions for us . . . before she gets too busy!

 

Welcome back to the Farm! When you graduated from Stanford, did you ever imagine you'd return to the campus to work?

 

Thanks, I'm so glad to be here! I had a great experience as a Stanford undergrad, but having grown up nearby, when I graduated I was thinking about opportunities in other places. It wasn't until later that I was struck by the many facets of the University and began to think about what it might look like to work here.

 

What was it about this position at the Gardner Center that piqued your interest?

 

I've been interested in the Gardner Center since I first learned of its work. The Center's overarching focus has resonated with me for years: youth development and community building. And the Center's approach--combining a commitment to community partnerships, rigorous research and analysis, capacity building, and youth leadership--offers the chance to be part of something that's inspiring, challenging, energizing, and impactful. For me, that's an incredible opportunity.

 

What are your responsibilities, and what excites you most about your new role?

 

It's an amazing team, and I'm delighted to be a part of it. I've been working on a framework of integrated student supports, an essential aspect of ensuring equitable access to Linked Learning opportunities. I've also been collaborating on a project that's engaging East Palo Alto youth in the expansion of arts and music programming in their community. And I'm getting involved with some of the Center's work focused on college readiness and access. With so much happening, there are sure to be lots of different roles on many different projects, and that's definitely exciting!

 

You are the only architect at the Gardner Center! How does your training as an architect influence or impact your work in the community? 

 

I love this question! I've always seen architecture as an opportunity to build community through authentic dialogue, creating places that enhance lives. For me, the best architecture results from design processes that include carefully listening to the needs of stakeholders; analyzing priorities, conflicts, and opportunities; strategic problem-solving, simultaneously considering big picture goals and paying attention to details; and effectively communicating decisions in ways that are respectful of stakeholder input. I would say the approach and the skills involved in architecture are definitely aligned with my work with communities.

 

 

Many thanks to all who've responded with enthusiasm to our recently launched #communitycollabs newsfeed, which provides a broad view of the emerging field of research supporting community collaboratives to improve youth outcomes. As one of the goals of the newsfeed is to foster an ongoing communication about research-practice partnerships, we hope you'll become part of the exchange from time to time! Feel free to tweet things our way via the hashtag #communitycollabs or send news of exemplary partnerships, reports, or resources to Leslie Patron at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

 

VISIT THE NEWSFEED