The Aspen Forum for Community Solutions is pleased to invite you to the Opportunity Youth Forum (OYF) Digital Learning Series 2021: The Power of Place. Over this summer, our learning sessions will look at key systems that touch opportunity youth, including: (i) re-engagement, (ii) postsecondary, and (iii) the workforce, with the structural racism and place-based lens, while lifting up strategies, practices, and tools from across the OYF network and partners. Furthermore, we will have additional learning sessions focusing on healing, juvenile justice, and other key systems.

Session Overview

Date/Time: August 26, 12:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

Title: The Power of Place: Addressing Structural Racism in the Post-Secondary System

Overview: The next session in the Power of Place series will focus on the impact of structural racism in the context of postsecondary education, and will highlight solutions and interventions that communities, students, and postsecondary institutions are implementing to improve institutional outcomes and outcomes of students color and other traditionally underserved populations, while fostering belonging and meaning-making for students. This session will feature reflections from a range of organizations and leaders, including Success Boston, Students Making Change (SMAC), Dr. Russel Lowery-Hart, President of Amarillo College (invited) and Monica Clark, Director, College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute (invited).

Session Goals: 

  1. Feature postsecondary efforts that reinforce anti-racism practices and improve outcomes for students of color and other traditionally underserved populations.
  2. Tell stories of change across the OYF network and partners, in the context of postsecondary system/institutional change and programs that work in supporting postsecondary success of students of color.
  3. Feature the work in Boston at several levels – community-wide commitment to improving systems, policies, and programming (with a focus on programming that centers identity, belonging, and meaning-making for Black and Latinx male students).
  4. Feature the work of Amarillo College and the leadership of Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart aimed at improving postsecondary outcomes for all students with a commitment to equity.
  5. Uplift the role of student voice in community college system change.

Accessing Previous Learning Series Events

Access to sessions from previous Power of Place events is available and open to all. For more information on the Power of Place learning series, visit the series information tab on this website.