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Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
In 2021 the NYSATA Board took action to establish an Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
NYSATA’s charge to the ED&I Committee:
- to do the difficult and ongoing work of examining and making recommendations for dismantling systemic inequities that reinforce inaccessibility, stagnate membership, and foster a general resistance to new perspectives, particularly as a means for inciting organizational change within NYSATA
- to ensure equal access to the benefits of membership and positions of leadership for all
- to increase the capacity of art educators to enact change that ultimately fosters greater diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility throughout their circle of influence and within their own professional practice
- to serve students and support educators—including those who are often marginalized due to their identity including but not restricted to cultural race, ethnicity, class, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, special needs and other characteristics
- to identify, guide, and support opportunities for professional development in local, regional, and state level Initiatives such as NYSED’s Culturally Responsive Sustaining Education guidance
- to work with NYSATA leaders and program coordinators to evaluate the accessibility of NYSATA programs and to provide students with equitable opportunities for success
- to establish goals by targeting and identifying areas for improvement regarding equity within the NYSATA community in order to create and maintain a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment
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Jennifer Grasso-Moise
ED& I Committee Chair
Jenn Grasso-Moise is a middle school art teacher in the Brentwood Union Free School District. She seeks opportunities for her students to engage in the arts, helping them find their voice and share their vision. She encourages them to showcase their work through contests, galleries, and local community events. Additionally, she runs the NJAHS club after school, further encouraging her students' artistic development and community involvement. Jenn loves to travel and explore the world, bringing a multicultural perspective back to her classroom. She shares her experiences with her students, enriching their understanding of diverse cultures through art.
Recently, Jenn was appointed chair of NYSATA's ED&I committee and elected Vice Chair for NYSATA Region 10. She looks forward to contributing to these important committees and playing a more integral role in fostering positive change and awareness that reaches beyond the arts education community. Additionally, Jenn is involved in the 2024-2025 PEACE Project, which focuses on education, arts, and community empowerment. As a passionate advocate for the arts in education, she actively pursues professional development by attending workshops and conferences. Jenn aims to learn as much as possible to inspire future generations with her commitment and enthusiasm for the arts.
Jenn is also an active member of MCCNY (Multicultural Council of New York) https://www.multiccny.org/ and LILTA (Long Islond Latino Teachers Association https://lilta.org/.
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Catilin Chan
Caitlin Chan (they/them) is an educator, artist, biracial and queer intersectional feminist. As a child, they wondered if their identity belonged in the classroom curriculum and culture. After becoming a teacher, Mx. Chan made it a priority to ensure that students studied a broad array of visual narratives. They strongly believe that through art all individuals can be seen and through art compassion and empathy can be developed. Since 2013, Mx. Chan has taught in public schools in: Ithaca, Binghamton, the Bronx, Bloomfield, NY and Tempe, AZ. Caitlin has repeatedly presented at NYSATA and NAEA. In 2022, they received the NAEA ED&I scholarship. Caitlin aspires for educators to transform their teaching practices through a communal dialogue and sharing of knowledge.
Rachel Lyons
Rachel Lyons is in her 24th year as an art teacher for the Buffalo Public Schools. She has been at Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts for the past 20 years. During that time, she has worked to help develop art-specific curriculum that integrates the District’s Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Initiatives. She also serves as a mentor teacher for new teachers in the district. Lyons integrates Culturally Responsive Initiatives and Social Justice projects into her classroom and frequently engages her students in projects that give back to the community. She believes that one of her most important roles as a teacher is to be an advocate and ally for her students.
Caitlin Cham
Caitlin (Cai "k") has taught all over the state and in AZ in public education upk-12. Cai an enby uses they/them pronouns and is half Chinese though they live the positionality of "white womanhood." The dichotomy of positionality versus internal/lived identity and ethnicity has always been a source of curiosity like the feeling of a loose tooth, not quite there but also not gone.
Cai lives in Rochester, NY with their family and pets. They received their Bachelors from RISD, Masters from RIT, and post graduate education leadership certification at UofR. Cai is part of the inaugural DE&I committee for NYSATA.
Currently Cai teaches at Flower City Art Center, Asbury First UMC, and Rochester City School District.
Dan Napolitano
Dan Napolitano is Chief of Staff for The New School in Manhattan, New York City.
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Ann Holt
Ann Holt, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of art education at the Pennsylvania State University. She also serves as an advisor and artist teacher with ArtsAction Group (AAG), an international community-based collective of arts educators, art therapists, artist teachers, and educators committed to facilitating arts initiatives with children and youth in conflict-affected environments. Holt serves on the board of the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Coalition of Feminisms in Art Education (CFAE- formerly Women’s Caucus) and in the role of research coordinator with a focus on amplifying emerging feminist researchers. Since 2020, she serves as the NAEA liaison to New York State Art Teacher Association’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion task force.
Holt is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Arts, Culture & Development which came out of a co-edited publication from Routledge UK’s Rethinking Development Series, Arts and Culture in Global Development Practice: Expression, Identity, and Empowerment. Her research explores social justice and the role of arts and culture towards social transformation. She has also long been interested in issues of access to archives and marginalized histories of art education. Her historical studies, "Lowenfeld at Hampton (1939-1946): Empowerment, Resistance, Activism, and Pedagogy" (2012) and “Mary E. Godfrey (1913-2007): Penn State’s First African American Full-Time Faculty Member” (2017) are published in Studies in Art Education.
Holt holds a B.F.A. in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute in California, USA and an M.A. in art education from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She completed her doctoral work in art education with a minor in women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Penn State University.
Callie Rimmel
I am a middle school level studio art teacher and an Open Studio Project certified facilitator. I am the NYSATA co-chair for Region 4 as well as a member of the ED&l committee.
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| Interested in Serving on the NYSATA ED&I Team? |
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All persons eligible for NYSATA membership who have an interest and meet the criteria for serving on this important leadership team are encouraged to apply. ED&I Committee members must demonstrate a commitment to social justice work as it supports NYSATAs mission. We ask for a two year commitment to the committee work.
Relevant Experience:
- maintains or is establishing a leadership track record with wide-ranging experience in equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives
- has a personal history of committed struggle against underrepresentation in social and professional contexts, and/or experience teaching/working successfully with underrepresented populations
- advocates for equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (willing to stand up and speak out on behalf of others who are marginalized or disenfranchised)
- participates with other organizations, groups, or institutions who are doing equity, diversity, and inclusion work
- has research experience and/or a strong interest in research
Committee Members are accepted on a rolling basis as needs arise.
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| ED&I Resources |
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National Art Education Association (NAEA)
NYSATA aligns with NAEA in our joint committment to being an inclusive community and to better reflect the students and communities we serve.
CLICK HERE for NAEA ED&I Resources
New York State Education Department (NYSED)
CLICK HERE for NYSATA ED&I Resources
CLICK HERE for Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework and Resources
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