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| Facilitating DEIJ/JBA+ Change as a School Counselor How can you lead lasting DEI/JBA+ change in your school and ensure every student thrives in an inclusive environment? Led by Jacinta Williams, these circles will provide the guidance and support you need to create meaningful, sustainable change throughout the year. |
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Overview School counselors play a crucial role in fostering inclusive and equitable environments where all students can succeed. The "Leadership and Action Circles: Facilitating DEI/JBA+ Change as a School Counselor" are tailored to empower counselors with the tools, knowledge, and support needed to lead meaningful and sustainable DEI/JBA+ change. This series provides a structured yet flexible space for exploration, skill-building, and achieving impactful results in schools. |
Composition and Meeting Frequency |
The Leadership and Action Circles will form a cohort that will meet eight times throughout the year, with one session per month from November to June. Spaces are limited, and sessions will not be recorded, so live attendance is required. The group will meet eight (8) times throughout the year on the following Wednesdays below. Sessions will be held from 12:00 - 1:30 UTC.
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How It Works |
Led by an experienced facilitator with a deep understanding of DEI/JBA+ in international schools, each session combines theoretical insights with practical applications, fostering both individual reflection and collaborative learning. Sessions will feature the following components: |
| Building a Learning Community Sessions are designed to foster connections across lines of difference, creating conditions for productive learning and mutual support. |
Skill Practice & Case Discussions Counselors will engage in hands-on practice of DEI/JBA strategies and present real-world cases for collective problem-solving and diverse perspectives. |
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| Thematic Deep Dives 1-2 sessions will focus on critical areas such as addressing systemic inequities and supporting marginalized students, tailored to the group’s needs. |
Reflective Learning Circles Reflective practices will be integrated into each session, encouraging school counselors to examine their own biases, share personal experiences, and identify actionable steps to enhance their DEI/JBA impact. |
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| Success Sharing & Idea Exchange Counselors will share successes and insights from their DEI/JBA efforts, fostering a rich exchange of knowledge and strategies. |
Closing & Commitment Each session concludes with key takeaways and a commitment circle where participants pledge an actionable step to implement in their schools. |
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| Final Session The series culminates in a reflective session where counselors assess their growth, share insights, and develop plans for sustaining DEI/JBA initiatives and the learning community. |
Cost |
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About Jacinta Williams |
| Jacinta Williams is a social justice and racial equity practitioner with almost 20 years of experience facilitating change in public, independent, and international education as well as in nonprofits and corporations. Jacinta started her work in social justice as a front-line advocate to ensure women of color in the city of Atlanta had access to HIV/AIDS testing, programmatic resources, and clinical trials. In 2002, she co-created the Metro Atlanta Women of Color Initiative (MAWOCI), Atlanta’s first and still leading HIV testing program for women of color. After her time in public health, Jacinta continued her work in ensuring equitable access for marginalized communities in the education field where she worked to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion into teaching and learning and school systems, policies ,and processes. Jacinta is a skilled coach, process designer and facilitator and has experience designing and leading meaningful engagement and learning experiences across the entire ecosystem. |
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As a former teacher, instructional coach, and DEI leader in large non-profits, she brings a wealth of context and experience with engaging individuals, teams, and organizations in strategically addressing challenging and complex issues and integrating equitable processes to achieve equitable outcomes in structures, systems, policies, programs, and practices. Most recently, she served as the Head of Equity and Inclusion at Atlanta International School and now works with local and international schools and companies to recognize and disrupt any cultural norms, processes and practices that prevent the community from living into its expressed diversity, equity, and inclusion commitment and goals. She focuses her work on building the capacity of people to materially shift conditions so that everyone can thrive and partners with organizations and people who are serious about ensuring conditions that work for everyone. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology summa cum laude from Emory University and a Master’s Degree in Education from Oglethorpe University. In her spare time, you can find her working out, traveling, reading fantasy novels, and supporting community development efforts. |