Math teacher/teacher leader Demian Martens reimagines the equity landscape of his school through our arts integration experience.

Our first open-call Brave Spaces Institute last week was a wonderful and humbling experience. We brought together teams from across California and as far as Minneapolis for a deep exploration of what it means to be brave in our collective pursuit of equity. I walked away more hopeful than ever: educators can transform their current reality when they leverage listening, story, and strategy to move the needle on equity.

One participant wrote this: “I don’t know that I’ve ever attended two days of PD and desperately wanted a third (or fourth!). The intentionality of each part of the two days added such depth to the experience. My mind is buzzing and my heart is filled with hope as I leave to take my learning back to my school community. This workshop really is a gift that all educators should experience.

Another said, “The past two days have allowed me to see how all of our wants and desires for our school community can become a reality. I learned that leading through equity forces us to live on the edge of our comfort zone, but through the brave space that was created in this workshop, my team was able to get deeper than we ever had before.”

East Side Union instructional leaders Lyra Hua and Trudl Wink take a picture with me and my phenomenal co-facilitators Jamila Dugan and Jessica Huang.

And this piece of feedback brought a smile to my face: “AMAZING! A refreshing, revitalizing way to reframe and rethink how we create brave spaces for staff and students. It will allow you to reflect and develop new ways to listen, understand and implement your care into action as a school.”

My heart is truly full. Holding space for and igniting the passion and moral imperative of educators is the work that matters to me. Come join us on September 13-14 at the beautiful Temescal Beach House for our next Brave Spaces Institute. We are half full already so sign up soon!