Grants Awarded to Three CEC Members to Support Projects Focused on Equity and Justice
Arlington, Va. December 19, 2024 - The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is pleased to announce the awardees for the 2024 CEC Racial Justice Grant: Lisa Becker, DeKalb Community School District, Hayden Cook, Grand View Corporation, West Virginia; and Kayla Larkin, University of Memphis.
The Racial Justice Grant encourages and supports work focused on addressing the issues related to the ongoing racial disparities in educational experiences, opportunities, and outcomes for individuals with disabilities from minoritized racial groups. Grants up to $1,000 are awarded to these three CEC members for initiatives engaging practitioners, children/youth, families, or other stakeholders in support of students with disabilities from minoritized racial groups.
This year’s grantee projects provide valuable support for both current and future educators, as well as benefiting numerous students in school districts and communities.
Enhancing Equity-Based Multitiered System of Support for Behavior (MTSS-B) through Collaborative Professional Development
Lisa Becker, Assistant Director of Student Services, DeKalb Community School District #428
Lisa Becker’s grant focuses on enhancing the capacity of MTSS-B coaches within their school district to implement equity-based MTSS practices.
This project will serve 35 educational professionals (teachers, special education teachers, social workers, and psychologists) who lead MTSS-B teams of roughly 5-10 people per building. This impacts the implementation of culturally responsive and equity based MTSS-B efforts in schools from PreK-12, supporting over 6,500 students.
Culturally Responsive Sensory Space for Students with Disabilities
Hayden Cook, The Grand View Corporation, West Virginia
Hayden Cook’s project supports a partnership with Men of Change, Wheeling YMCA, Bethany College Education Department, and artist Vondel Bell, to create an accessible sensory room.
“The YMCA of Wheeling serves thousands of families and youth across the region, making it an ideal location for the culturally responsive sensory room,” says Cook. With a strong focus on community engagement, the YMCA is open year-round and accessible during critical times when schools may not be in session—after school, on weekends, during the summer, and over holidays.
The sensory room will be available to a large number of children, particularly those who might not have access to similar resources elsewhere. By situating the sensory room at the YMCA, Cook says they will maximize its impact, providing a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for students with disabilities from minoritized racial groups during non-traditional school hours. This expanded access will allow children to utilize the space during times when there are often few other options for emotional and sensory support.
Developing Culturally Responsive and Critically Inclusive Memphis Educators and Classrooms through Children’s Literature
Kayla Larkin, Assistant Professor of Teaching, The University of Memphis
Dr. Larkin’s project aims to address gaps in dis/ability representation in classroom libraries and teacher education.
“At the University of Memphis, 40% of our students are first-generation students.” Writes Larkin, “The majority of our educators serve or go on to serve in Memphis-Shelby County Public Schools. The Memphis-Shelby County School District is Tennessee’s largest school district and among the top 25 largest public school systems in the U.S.”
Their project holds promise to provide pre-service and in-service educators across content areas and grade levels with critical access to multicultural disability representative texts and a deeper consideration for representation in their classrooms.
The grant will be used to provide the initial funding needed to purchase a core departmental lending library set that pre-service and in-service teachers can access and borrow for their classrooms and students.
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to high-quality education that is inclusive and equitable for individuals with disabilities. Learn more about CEC at https://exceptionalchildren.org/.