STEVEN WILLIS- DEIB CHIEF FOR NASD
Last Thursday the Club welcomed Steven Willis who states that he has the longest title in the Norristown School District - Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging officer for the NASD. His main task is to make sure all the elements that make up a complete education are made available to every student, especially those in the greatest peril of failing. And while DEI is a significant part of his job, he concentrates most heavily on the Belonging part. He say that he is "The Kindness Guy" of the school system. He pointed out that if he works solely on the center of the group that is the school, many will fall through the cracks, so his focus to in involve those on the edges, and work to encourage their sense of belonging. That includes self esteem and self realization enhancement. Mr. Willis noted that there is a "Belonging Gap" within all organizations and a student's success is , in a large part, determined how well this is handled. He stresses that each student has to realize that to be fully accepted and belong, the individual " has to be me", and not just rely on the number of friends he has. Belonging is how you feel in a space, and if Belonging Uncertainty persists, there is a decrease in levels of achievement , and that belonging goes a long way to fix that and strengthens lives.
Thank you Mr. Willis for this informative talk.