Diversity
Action
Committee
The OkACTE Diversity Action Committee meets quarterly to discuss, communicate and create collaborations in ongoing and upcoming initiatives and events that support the goal of enhancing the environment for diversity, inclusion and equity across the Oklahoma Career Tech System.
The Diversity Action Committee serves to unite the profession of career and technology and advocate awareness of diversity among OkACTE, the students that are taught, and businesses in which our members are involved. Each of the 12 OkACTE divisions has a chairperson appointed or elected to serve on the committee.
Kaleidoscope Award
The Kaleidoscope Award has been established to recognize those entities that embrace and promote a sincere commitment to processes and activities that promote a pluralistic campus, community, or agency. These processes and activities must be aimed at developing, improving, and promoting awareness of and opportunities for integrating multiculturalism, gender equity, and those with physical disabilities into career and technology education programs.
EXAMPLES of processes and activities may be, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
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Specialized Intern/Extern programs.
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Implementing strategies to enhance job placement and upward mobility that reflect a diverse population.
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Intentional incorporation of heterogeneity within print and/or visual media such as curriculum, brochures, recruitment materials, etc.
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Developing processes and/or activities for recruiting and retaining a professional multiplicitous staff.
Now Accepting Applications! Apply today! Applications are due May 1st.
Recent Kaleidoscope Winners
Read about our most recent Kaleidoscope award winning programs below.
2022 | Administrative Intern Program
In September 2022, SouthernTech launched an Administrative Internship Program (AIP) to advance the careers of a multicultural group of teachers and staff. The project is a part of a long-term strategy to incorporate processes and activities that enable a more pluralistic learning organization with the ultimate desire for SouthernTech’s leadership to mirror student demographics.
The Internship Program Goal is to expose interns to all aspects of leading in a career tech. Interns are mentored and placed in positions outside of their regular duties. Their duties include monitoring and leading initiatives across the district. This AIP provides a holistic perspective expanding the knowledge and skills of interns.
Principals represent the most ‘visible’ form of leadership in schools, but current workforce data show that school principals fail to reflect the diversity within the student population. With increased policy focus on teacher diversity, equal attention must also be directed towards the lack of diversity within school leadership. The United States Department of Education reports that of the 89,000 principals in US public schools, 80% of school principals are white, 10% are Black, and 7% are Latino (Castro, Germain, & Gooden, 2018).
Individuals selected for the AIP identified as either a protected class or a non-traditional background. The seven individuals selected consisted of teachers and a career advisor, all with varying degrees of experiences in the classroom. The cohort is made up of 43% Native Americans and 29% Hispanic. SouthernTech Native American student demographics are 16.5% and the Hispanic group is noted at 18.5%. Currently SouthernTech staff demographics are 3.7% Hispanic and 11.9% Native American. This multicultural cohort have had rich conversations deepening the learning of cultures and a difference in mental models. Interns participate in bi-monthly professional learning communities.
Dr. Stephanie Bills and Dr. Eric Ward, both members of ACTE, OKACTE, and OAMCTE, created, deployed, and lead the program. They are members of the Admin Division and are actively engaged in Oklahoma CareerTech committees. The AIP was started within the current fiscal year by the vote of the Board and has been incorporated into the school’s regular processes, activities, and responsibilities.
Events
Diversity Symposium
The Kaleidoscope Committee has committed to hosting an annual event, the Diversity Symposium. The Diversity Symposium has addressed issues such as Unconscious Biases, Generational Differences, LGBTQ+ issues and more. The Diversity Symposium is open to any OkACTE member to attend. This event is typically hosted annually in November.
Partners in Change Lecture Series
The Kaleidoscope Committee invites you to join the Partners in Change Lecture series. This series is designed to educate OkACTE members on issues and topics in a webinar-style platform that provides comfort in exploring topics, engagement with the speaker, and the convenience of joining from anywhere. All sessions are scheduled to begin at 4 pm and will last an hour.