Growing Inland Achievement (GIA) proudly hosted its 7th annual Toward a Shared Vision Summit at the Riverside Convention Center on October 25-26. With over 250 local leaders from diverse sectors in attendance.
To kick off the summit, GIA welcomed a panel of local Inland Empire college students who fearlessly shared their firsthand experiences and insights regarding their education in the Inland Empire. Their candid feedback shed light on the strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement within the region’s educational landscape. Attendees were captivated by the students’ stories, which showcased both the triumphs and struggles they faced in their pursuit of higher education.
Photo of student voice session
Along with a highlight on student voices, GIA invited a panel of experts to address the pressing need for equitable support and fostering a sense of belonging within historically marginalized student populations. Panel experts included Sheridan McNeil Oyate Ohowicada Win (Respects the People Woman), the Director of Tribal Partnerships at North Dakota State University/ND EPSCoR, Matt Cuozzo, Chief of Staff at Excelencia in Education, and Dr. Deon Johnson the Institute for Capacity Building Knowledge Management Program Manager at UNCF (United Negro College Fund). During their panel, the three shared their strategies and best practices to help ensure that every student feels valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.
Panel discussion on supporting equitable student success
This year, GIA’s summit featured two distinguished keynote speakers, Dr. Anton Treuer and Dr. Victor Rios, who shared their expertise and provided attendees a new lens on crucial issues affecting education and students.
Dr. Anton Treuer offers keynote presentation on day one of Toward a Shared Vision
Dr. Anton Treuer, a renowned author and Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University, captivated the audience with his personal stories and insight into race relations and indigenous experiences.
Dr. Victor Rios, the MacArthur Foundation Chair and Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, brought his expertise in equity, anti-racism, cultural responsiveness, resilience, closing the opportunity gap, teacher well-being, and restorative justice to the summit. His insights shed light on crucial issues affecting education and society at large, inspiring attendees to act and foster positive change.
Dr. Victor Rios offers keynote presentation on day two of Toward a Shared Vision
Along with incredible keynote speakers, the summit offered a platform for attendees to dive deeper into pressing educational matters through breakout workshops. Workshop participants had the opportunity to learn from experts, share experiences, and explore innovative solutions that could drive educational progress and economic growth.
Images of speakers and participants in breakout sessions
Topics for the workshops included discussions on concurrent high school and college course enrollment, how students can qualify for and properly use financial aid, indigenous peoples’ education, championing equity for undocumented students, increasing success for community college students transferring to four-year universities, and more.
GIA closed out the summit with its first-ever Toward a Shared Vision Awards. During the celebration, 12 individuals and groups were recognized for their significant contributions to educational attainment and economic success in the Inland Empire region while embodying GIA’s core values of equity, transformation, collaboration, innovation, and centering students.
Images of Toward a Shared Vision Award winners
GIA is proud to share that all event proceeds for the 2023 Toward a Shared Vision Summit will go toward GIA’s student scholarship fund. For information on future GIA events and initiatives, please subscribe to their email list.
To view event photos, click here.
