LWPTSA Council is proud to share that Peter Kirk Elementary PTSA has won National PTA’s 2023 Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award! Peter Kirk PTSA is one of three recipients of this prize, which honors PTAs for outstanding efforts in representing the perspectives and needs of all communities, as well as endeavors to end discriminatory practices.
From Peter Kirk PTSA’s leadership team:
At Peter Kirk Elementary School, we’re proud of our commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in our community. Thanks to the hard work of our dedicated DEI committee, we’ve seen incredible growth in cultural awareness and an increase in representation from underrepresented groups.
One of our most successful initiatives has been the launch of our Diversity Ambassador program, which has brought together students from all backgrounds to promote diversity awareness in classrooms and throughout our school. We’ve also partnered with teachers to invite mystery readers into classrooms and organized events based on our updated cultural calendar to ensure that all students know about the rich diversity of our community.
We are also very proud of our signature S.N.A.C.K Together (Share Nibbles And Cultural Knowledge) event, which brings families together to celebrate the cultural diversity of our community through the sharing of delicious snacks from around the world. During this live, one-hour Zoom event, participants are taken on a culinary cultural journey through different regions of the world. Our speakers share personal experiences and memories of their culture with stories and photos, while participants taste two to three snacks or drinks from each region.
S.N.A.C.K. Together is just one of the many ways we are promoting intercultural understanding and advancing diversity and inclusion within our school community. Our efforts have created a self-sustaining flywheel mechanism that’s led to significant growth in cultural awareness and an increase in representation from underrepresented groups. We’re honored that Peter Kirk PTSA has been selected by National PTA and the National PTA Diversity, Inclusion and Outreach Committee to receive a local-level Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award for 2023, and will continue to make every effort to continue promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in our school community.
The award recipients will be recognized during the 2023 National PTA Virtual Convention, June 15–24. Read about all three honorees here. Congratulations, Peter Kirk PTSA!