Onramps

Each tool on this site is what Mica calls an onramp — a structured invitation to enter collective efforts to improve schools and society. If the collective effort is a highway full of travelers going in a shared direction, an “onramp” proactively offers language, concepts, or action steps that prompt people to enter work where they are.

A *text* can be an onramp to collective effort (eg., Schooltalk is designed to be one onramp, Everyday Antiracism another; each chapter is an onramp of its own). A *frame* or term can be an onramp inspiring collective effort (Mica has used “everyday antiracism,” “equity,” and “anti-hate” to invite people into the work). Each “onramp” has pros/cons, in given situations. Onramps need to be designed for use in specific places.

And then, talk tools help us sustain efforts with each other once on the highway.

No single text does it all: we need a toolkit. Here’s an amazing reading/video list from my campus’ “21-day Antiracism Challenge.” Here’s another pretty amazing list; here’s another.

But we need to apply any text as an onramp to ongoing work to improve our schools. One effort is the #Schooltalking Action Planner — check it out.

Leveraging a University to Create Local Opportunities to Learn

These conversation starters on the CREATE STEM Success Initiative at UC San Diego share our Center’s efforts to leverage an entire university to create local opportunities to learn. This is essential antiracist equity work. Rather than just describe unequal opportunities as education researchers, we actually work to create more opportunities to go around.

“The CREATE STEM Success Initiative: Year 6 Report.” The Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment, and Teaching Excellence (CREATE), UC San Diego, July 2019.

“The CREATE STEM Success Initiative: Year 5 Report.” The Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment, and Teaching Excellence (CREATE), UC San Diego, July 2018.

“The CREATE STEM Success Initiative: Year 4 Report.” The Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment, and Teaching Excellence (CREATE), UC San Diego, July 2017.

“The CREATE STEM Success Initiative: Year 3 Report.” The Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment, and Teaching Excellence (CREATE), UC San Diego, July 2016.

“The CREATE STEM Success Initiative: Year 2 Report.” The Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment, and Teaching Excellence (CREATE), UC San Diego, July 2015.

“The CREATE STEM Success Initiative: Year 1 Report.” The Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment, and Teaching Excellence (CREATE), UC San Diego, July 2014.

Mica Pollock, Susan Yonezawa and Barbara Edwards. “Solving the Math Problem in San Diego Together.” San Diego Union Tribune, May 23, 2014. (This conversation starter talks about the key role of math in K12 opportunity.)

“From Denial to Creation: Meeting the Opportunity Goals of Title VI Today.” Anthropology News, June 2014. (This conversation starter talks about the key role of universities in local opportunity creation.)

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