The four-part webinar series, Equity-grounded Counseling: Serving Black Students, was specifically designed for those working in counseling offices across the state. Participants gained a deeper understanding of the experience of Black students in counseling environments and discussed ways to individually and systemically enact change in everyday counseling practices and overall organization.
Recordings, slide presentations, and resources from past webinars are posted below—check back for updates.
Join the California Counselors Network (CaCN) to keep the conversation going. After each webinar we will be “taking it to the porch” to share our thoughts, ideas, and promising practices. Click here to join.
Maintaining an Equity Focus in the Face of Oppressive Structures, February 26
Wendy Stewart (Dean of Counseling & Student Development at MiraCosta College) and Nicole Jones (Dean, Counseling Services at Cuyamaca College) addressed the impact of traditional approaches to career and educational counseling that can ultimately harm Black students and discussed equity-framed approaches and strategies to enact change and sustain the work.
- Recording
- Presentation
- Take it to the Porch – A list of questions to help introduce the topic of each webinar at your campus
- CaCN post
Addressing Basic Needs in Educational Counseling Environments, February 19
Devon Boone (CARE Manager, MiraCosta College) and Don Love (Umoja Counselor/Coordinator, MiraCosta College) focused on understanding the basic needs of Black students and discussed strategies for addressing identified needs in an educational counseling environment, grounded in trauma-informed care.
- Recording
- Presentation
- Take it to the Porch – A list of questions to help introduce the topic of each webinar at your campus
- CaCN post
Deconstructing the Process of Career and Educational Planning, February 5
Dr. Adrean Askerneese (Counselor and Immediate Past Department Chair of General Counseling at MiraCosta College), Dr. James Canady (Counselor and Immediate Past Department Chair of General Counseling at Grossmont College) and Jonathan Henderson (Regional Coordinator for Umoja Community Education Foundation) explored the historic roots of traditional career and educational planning and the impact on Black communities. They also covered strategies to redefine how to effectively serve Black students in achieving their career and educational goals.
- Recording
- Presentation
- Book Recommendations (from the presentation)
- Resources
- Take it to the Porch – A list of questions to help introduce the topic of each webinar at your campus
- Printable guide
- CaCN post
- Take it to the Porch – A list of questions to help introduce the topic of each webinar at your campus
Empathy as a Tool for Equity, January 29
In the first webinar, Selam Gebrekristos (Counselor & Coordinator EOPS/Next Up Program at San Diego City College) and Mercedes Tiggs (Umoja Co-Coordinator/EOPS Counselor at Palomar College) discussed using empathy as a tool for equity and explained why it is foundational to ground counseling practices in equity to effectively serve Black students at our campuses.
- Recording
- Presentation
- Resources
- Take it to the Porch – A list of questions to help introduce the topic of each webinar at your campus
- Printable guide
- CaCN post
- Videos shown during the presentation
- Take it to the Porch – A list of questions to help introduce the topic of each webinar at your campus
The Equity-grounded Counseling webinar series has been produced by MiraCosta College in partnership with CLP and collaboration from counseling faculty and administrators from Cuyamaca College, Grossmont College, Palomar College, San Diego City College, and the Umoja Community Education Foundation. CLP’s work was funded in part by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.