Equity Scholar in Residence Program

For K-12 Schools

  • "Each of us must come to care about everyone else's children. We must recognize that the welfare of our children and grandchildren is intimately linked to the welfare of all other people's children. . . . The good life for our own children can be secured only if a good life is also secured for all other people's children."

    Lilian Katz

Our work co-creates school environments where more and more children and staff learn and thrive, and behave in ways that allow others to thrive.

Despite the best efforts of many educators, too many learners continue to struggle to learn and thrive in school.

Educators struggle to balance the ongoing demands of their work with emerging understandings about how to ensure that all students thrive, respond to school and community-specific challenges, and teach and lead in the context of fast-changing cultural contexts.

In response to these challenges, the ILI has developed the Equity Scholar in Residence (ESR) model.

The innovative Equity Scholar in Residence program combines:

  • embedded support for teachers and other educational staff, and school and district leaders;

  • restorative, compassionate relationship;

  • learner-centered professional development;

  • resources and information in response to the questions, opportunities, and challenges of educators and the school community.

The ESR model combines genuine relationship and learner-centered pedagogy with restorative approaches and responsive scholarship.

In practice, the program embeds a uniquely prepared, independent contractor — an Equity Scholar in Residence — in a school or small district community.

With oversight from school leaders, the ESR has a workspace in the school, attends staff meetings and school events, and works responsively with educators to support their efforts to address opportunities and challenges unique to their school community.