Naperville held its third Embrace Naperville forum at Neuqua Valley High School last Wednesday, Oct. 25.
The event, titled “The Power of a Generation: Community Coming Together,” gave students a platform to speak to older generations about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), share personal experiences, and discuss how the city can make improvements.
A panel made up of a diverse group of students from Naperville School District 203, Indian Prairie School District 204, and a student from North Central College led the event.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion in Naperville
Students noted that the forum itself was an example of Naperville’s commitment to DEI.
“I think that one thing we do really well is [Naperville has] a lot of opportunities for people to speak. So for example, for this [event], we’re able to voice our opinions, our thoughts and it’s not just closer to a certain group of the population, everyone is allowed to,” said Viraj Vyas, a sophomore at Metea Valley High School.
They also spoke about DEI initiatives within area schools.
“One of the things I really value, specifically at Central, is the effort for safe spaces and inclusivity, said Connor Snyder, a junior at Naperville Central High School. “I really value the effort that the school district has put into making sure that all the students feel included.”
Another effort noted was an AP U.S. history class that offers open conversations at Metea Valley High School.
“Part of that includes being able to share everyone’s opinion and that reflects a lot of parts of Naperville itself,” said Vyas.
Making improvements in schools
Issues like mental health, bullying, and microaggressions were noted as areas the students would like to see schools focus on, along with communication.
“So one of the things to work on is really making sure that students know what resources they have and how there’s so much out there that people are trying to help them with,” said Rida Majeed, a junior at Waubonsie Valley High School.
Understanding cultural differences was also brought up as a needed improvement.
“One thing that I face personally is just an overall lack of cultural awareness in my school specifically, but I guess in the broader Naperville community as well,” said Sydney Tyus, a senior at Waubonsie Valley High School. ”Being more open about what [people] go through as individuals, even if you don’t feel like [you] can relate to it, I think is important because it helps give you respect for the other person and create a mutual bond that you would not have otherwise.”
Intergenerational conversations
A big focus was on the idea of intergenerational dialogue in the community.
“I think it’s very important to push educating as well as collaborating between the older generations who know what they’re doing and have had these personal experiences of how to deal with these difficult topics,” said Snyder.
Panelists found the event essential to continue growing DEI in the community, but also for them to grow as individuals.
“So I think that one of the best things to do would just be to continue having events like these where [we] can get involved and just continue to voice [our] opinions because ultimately we are the next generation and it is important that you guys tell us and teach us things that we need to know so we can eventually take over the mantle of the responsibilities,” said Vyas.
About Embrace Naperville
“Embrace Naperville: Empowering our Mission Through a Year of Learning” is a series of events from the city to help promote diversity and inclusivity.
The series is led by Naperville’s DEI manager Dr. Geneace Williams, as well as other community partners.
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