Dreamers for Change Task Force

The Dreamers for Change Task Force was created in the summer of 2020 with a membership of staff and community leaders. The group has met virtually over the last twelve months and has touched on topics such as systemic racism and unconscious biases, and helped explore training options for task force members, AAD board members, teachers, and staff on diversity, equity, and inclusion. After selecting Cook Ross, a full-service consulting firm with 30 years of experience addressing organizational development issues, including deep expertise in the role of unconscious bias in the workplace, a series of training sessions were held. These training sessions were held virtually and helped facilitate dialogue and provided task force members, staff, and board members with a framework to process what was happening nationally related to acts of racial injustice and what they can do individually and collectively to achieve equality.

Several members of the An Achievable Dream staff are currently enrolled in the CoachDiversity Institute (CDI) and are obtaining a Certified Professional Diversity Coach (CPDC) certification. CDI focuses on diverse communities and helps organizations ensure they are leading with diversity, equity and inclusion in mind. The CPDC certification will give the AAD staff members the foundation needed to work with others on topics such as developing awareness of cultural difference; cultivating non-judgmental attitude toward difference; transforming bias toward inclusion; cultural competency; minority stress; managing conflict around diversity and inclusion in the workplace; and micro-aggressions.