Exploring How to Develop Inclusive
Community Engagement Practices

Strategies for Moving Along the Spectrum Activity

As you recall in Module 1, there are several community members with whom your district is required to engage. Regardless of the number of students/families representing those focal groups, it is each district and charter school’s responsibility to meet the needs of those students – and engagement with the students and their families is the most effective way to do so. Many of Oregon’s students belong to multiple focal groups through intersectionality which can magnify how they are impacted. This provides both challenges and opportunities to meet the unique needs of each and every student. This section will focus on how we can begin to take steps.

Intersectionality is the way in which the impacts of discrimination, such as racism, sexism, and classism, combine, overlap, or intersect. These impacts are more severe in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups.

If you have not yet read pages 108 - 114 in the toolkit, please take some time to do so now. The content in these pages are divided into sections focusing on strategies for the following: “Growing Community Awareness and Knowledge”, “Building Relationships Rooted in Care and Reciprocity”, “Equity, Antiracist, and Culturally Sustaining and Responsive Training,” “Community Driven Planning”, and “Navigating Virtual Community Engagement.”

While engaging with the identified focal student groups is required work of our school districts, it is essential that we do so in ways which intentionally address any potential harm. For example, for LGBTQ2SIA+ students, it is important to not inadvertently out a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity when they may otherwise not be out to their family, peers, and/or some school staff. ODE has created important resources to ensure the safety of Oregon’s students. Anyone in your school, district, or area supporting engagement would benefit from reading Ensuring Focal Student Group Safety and Privacy Resource, including superintendents, building leaders, teachers, and staff conducting engagement.

Virtual Options to Increase Accessibility

Virtual opportunities increase access for a wide variety of community members. Consider how offering both in person and remote participation can welcome and include members of your district community.

Reflection Questions:

Take a few moments to reflect and consider the following:

How has your district mitigated potential harm for marginalized students in your community in the past?
How might you utilize ODE resources in the future to improve safety related to focal student groups participating in district or community events?

Now that you have read through the resource, let’s go to section 3.4 to explore how to develop deeper relationships with families and community members.

Line to indicate the end of the section

Go to the Next Section: 3.4