The Lab on Diversity and Belonging
Coming Fall 2025
About the Lab
Move beyond surface-level inclusion initiatives, participants will develop frameworks for creating learning environments where all students can authentically engage, connect, and thrive. Through dialogue-based sessions, critical reflection activities, and collaborative problem-solving, you will develop practical strategies that honor the full humanity of diverse learners.
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This lab is perfect for:
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K12 TeachersDevelop practical strategies to create classroom communities where all students feel valued, while navigating the unique challenges of fostering belonging a within standardized educational structures. -
Instructional DesignersLearn to design inclusive learning experiences that center marginalized perspectives, accommodate diverse learning needs, and foster meaningful connection. -
Higher Ed FacultyExplore how pedagogical traditions can be reimagined to honor diverse ways of knowing, creating learning environments where all students can authentically engage with course content and with each other. -
Curriculum SpecialistsDevelop curricular approaches that integrate diverse voices, perspectives, and cultural contexts throughout educational materials and assessments.
Some Essential Questions
- How can we honor marginalized voices and foster meaningful dialogue across difference?
- How do our identities and positions within systems of power shape our understanding of belonging in educational spaces?
- What barriers to authentic belonging exist within our classrooms, and how might we transform them?
- In what ways can we reimagine curriculum, pedagogy, and learning design to reflect diverse ways of knowing and learning?
Learning Outcomes
- Design inclusive pedagogical approaches that center marginalized voices and knowledge systems01
- Cultivate classroom communities where difference is valued as a source of collective strength02
- Develop practical tools for fostering dialogue across difference and navigating challenging conversations03
Denise Stevens
Lead Facilitator
Dr. Denise Stevens serves as the Director of Leadership Development for Clayton County Public Schools, just south of Atlanta, and brings over 31 years of experience in district and school leadership. Throughout her career, she has held multiple roles, including teacher, assistant principal, principal, chief financial officer, adjunct professor, and leadership coach.
As a turnaround principal, Dr. Stevens led four schools—two of which served large populations of non-English speaking families in low-socioeconomic communities. These experiences deepened her commitment to diversity and belonging, leading her to establish Parent Academies, hire multilingual liaisons, and facilitate cultural diversity training for staff and new teachers across the district.
She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and currently oversees 10 leadership academies, supporting more than 200 district leaders. A motivational speaker, Dr. Stevens is recognized as an Amazon Best-Selling Author of one book and the co-author of another, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to promoting educational excellence.
She brings a wealth of experience, vision, heart, and a deep commitment to diversity and belonging to every role she serves in education.
As a turnaround principal, Dr. Stevens led four schools—two of which served large populations of non-English speaking families in low-socioeconomic communities. These experiences deepened her commitment to diversity and belonging, leading her to establish Parent Academies, hire multilingual liaisons, and facilitate cultural diversity training for staff and new teachers across the district.
She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and currently oversees 10 leadership academies, supporting more than 200 district leaders. A motivational speaker, Dr. Stevens is recognized as an Amazon Best-Selling Author of one book and the co-author of another, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to promoting educational excellence.
She brings a wealth of experience, vision, heart, and a deep commitment to diversity and belonging to every role she serves in education.
Join us in October
Be part of a community of educators ready to make difference and diversity a pedagogical strength, and to build classrooms where everyone has a place.
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