CCSD21 partners with League of Women Voters to promote civility, public engagement

September 18, 2020

Topic: Board of Education

Community Consolidated School District 21 and the local chapter of the League of Women Voters have partnered together to take on the important and necessary work of promoting civility and engagement in the community.

“We cannot ignore the critical conversations and work that we must do to support racial equality, equity, and justice for all,” said Dr. Michael Connolly, Superintendent of School District 21. “The League has a 100-year history of promoting civil discourse and we look forward to engaging all corners of our community in conversation to strengthen and support our society.”

The partnership began in early August as CCSD21 sponsored the League’s implicit bias training. Dr. Destiny Peery’s program, “Anger To Action: Implicit Bias Training — Moving from the Narrative to the Mechanism” led participants through presentations and conversations on implicit, or unintentional, bias, diversity, and equity. More than 150 individuals participated in the virtual program.

In the coming months, the League will facilitate community-based educational programming and discussions around positive civic engagement, racial equality, and ways to support a more just society at the local level. Serving as facilitator, the League will ensure a neutral and unbiased conversation to engage all stakeholders.

“These actions demonstrate how School District 21 is forward-thinking,” said Heidi Graham, President of the League of Women Voters of Arlington Heights, Mt. Prospect, and Buffalo Grove. “We’re eager to engage more voices in the conversation; the more voices we have in discussion, the more equitable decisions will be.”

Representatives from CCSD21 and the League of Women Voters met in July to begin planning their partnership, to include community-based educational programming and discussions around positive civic engagement, racial equality, and ways to support a more just society at the local level.