As our nation becomes ever more divided, Roots ConnectED envisions a unified world built upon a foundation of justice.
Who We Are
At Roots ConnectED, we partner with schools and organizations to build truly inclusive communities across lines of difference where everyone feels they belong and can thrive.
We take a holistic approach, focusing on:
Curriculum: Ensuring it is representative of multiple perspectives, encourages criticality, and draws on student experiences.
School Culture: Fostering belonging in a welcoming and supportive environment for everyone that nurtures interdependence.
Staff Professional Development: Equipping educators with the knowledge and practical support, and skills to create equitable learning experiences.
Family Engagement: Involving parents and caregivers in the journey towards inclusivity.
What Sets Us Apart
Deep-rooted understanding: We delve into the root causes of inequity, going beyond surface-level solutions.
Action-oriented PD: Our professional development isn't just theoretical. It provides educators the opportunity to experience models of the practices they are learning. We offer practical support including the opportunity to practice new skills and develop actionable plans that participants can implement in their classrooms.
Proven impact: Over 90% of participants leave our programs with concrete steps they can take, and we consistently hear that our approach is unlike any other, driving long-term shifts.
The heart of our work is captured in our Tree of Love.
Our Roots
Our Foundational Frameworks
Our Anti-Bias Education Framework outlines goals achievable for all community stakeholders. Learn more.
Our Dual Process for Change outlines the personal and collective work needed for change to occur.
Learn more about each of our frameworks here.
Roots ConnectED (RC) became a 501c3 in early 2019, after piloting its programming 3 years prior, at its learning site, Community Roots. RC believes that theory and action should be in tandem. We use practical, tangible examples to support schools in realizing and actualizing practices of anti-bias education at their own sites. One way we do this is through our learning site model, the first of which is Community Roots.
Our Executive Director Sahba Rohani, was a founding teacher at Community Roots before transitioning to her role as the Director of Community Development of the school for over a decade. In that time she took a learning stance, working to understand what it means to build authentic communities of belonging for all stakeholders in a racially and economically integrated and inclusive school setting. She was curious about how human connection can be centered in a school and the role that anti-bias education can have in practice. She spent her time co-creating, facilitating, and supporting programming that did just that.
She believes that all children deserve this type of education and to grow up in communities of belonging. That learning inspired herself, Allison Keil, Sara Stone, and a few others at Community Roots to create Roots ConnectED - to share that learning and support schools, networks, organizations, districts and educational non-profits in the work of creating just and equitable school communities; with an anti-bias lens.
Our Core Values
Our core values reflect our belief that today more than ever, educators need to be empowered to create a world we all aspire to live in. One that builds connections across lines of difference, one that recognizes the humanity in each individual, one that values justice as a precursor to unity, and one that cherishes the education of children.
We believe in the power of teaching children to see the humanity in one another; with schools at the forefront of this work.
