Today from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., all students in Oswego High School and Oswego East High School will have the chance to attend their Coalition’s Activating Student Compassion through Essential, Notable Discoveries (ASCEND) Conference at Waubonsee Community College.
This conference will be the first of its kind to demonstrate the district’s goals of “diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging” for students, said in the official announcement. Waubonsee Community College and the Oswego School District will be hosting the event together.
Students attending will not need to bring anything but “an open mind and an open heart,” according to the event organizer and SD308 district administrator Dr. Jadon Waller, but they do have the opportunity to eat a light breakfast while connecting with students from nearby school districts.
After breakfast, SD308 Superintendent Dr. Andalib Khelgati and SD308 alumni Maggie Bruckner will provide the keynote speech and a personal story, respectively. According to Waller, other speakers from participating districts will also cover topics such as “intersectionality, implicit bias, celebrating culture and identity, privilege, workforce and diversity, systems of oppression, and more.”
There will also be a chance for students to engage in two separate breakout sessions. After these sessions, students will have a “Fiesta lunch” and be able to sample agua frescas, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month passing, as well as 2 Teas Boba.
During lunch, there will be a resource fair with prizes and giveaways, a disc jockey (DJ), a photo booth, and even a tour of Waubonsee Community College.
The group helping to promote this event, The Coalition, is an organization at OHS and OEHS that promotes positivity and “awareness of issues regarding traditionally marginalized identities”, according to in the official announcement. They also aim to provide solutions, uplift silenced voices, and offer a safe space for everyone.
Waller and the Coalition hope that this conference will affirm students’ “identities and empower them to uplift others,” providing that safe space that helps to build their knowledge of themselves and others and increase their empathy and understanding for others.
Although at the time of publication, students can no longer turn in permission slips, students may reach out to OH teachers and Coalition advisers Jamie Piper or Evy Martin if they have any questions or are interested in events like this in the future.
Hello, I'm Gianna! This is my second year on staff, now as a senior in high school. I'm the head of the News and Artwork sections. I'm currently in Color Guard, B.I.O.N.I.C, NAHS, NEHS, Quill & Scroll Honors Society, and Senior Class Council!
