***ASYNCHRONOUS SESSION***Presented by
Mary Ann Dewan, Ph.D., County Superintendent of Schools
Santa Clara County Office of Education
Anisha Munshi, Ed.D., Associate Superintendent, Professional Learning &
Instructional Support Division, Santa Clara County Office of Education
Gena Pacada, Educational Technology Coordinator, Santa Clara County Office of Education
Yee Wan, Ed.D., Director, School Climate, Leadership & Instructional Services,
Santa Clara County Office of Education
Denise Williams, Chief Program Officer, Silicon Valley Education Foundation
About the My Name, My Identity CampaignWhat does your name mean to you? We receive our names from beloved family members or special people who are close to our family. We may be named after a family member, a saint, or a positive personality characteristic. Our name may recall an event, tell where the stars were at our birth, or state an aspiration of our future.
Since each of us is unique, so is our name. Because our name is tied to our identity, we would not wish to have our names changed or mispronounced. When our name is changed or unintentionally mispronounced, it is a misrepresentation of who we are -- because our name represents our identity.
As our world becomes increasingly connected, cross-cultural communication increases. We interact with more people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, many with different languages and ethnicities. Having the ability to effectively communicate with others who are different from ourselves opens up possibilities for deeper understanding and friendship based on mutual respect. It is also an essential skill in the 21st century.
School is a community, which prepares our students to succeed in the global world. To be an effective member of this global world, we can model respect for each other in the school community by learning about each other’s stories, our unique names, and their proper pronunciations.
Objectives of this Campaign- Bring awareness to the importance of respecting one’s name and identity in schools as measured by the number of community members making a pledge to pronounce students’ names correctly
- Build a respectful and caring culture in school communities that values diversity as measured by my name stories posted on social media
Session Recording
