UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State College of Education alumni who benefited from the services of the Office of Education and Social Equity (OESE) while they were students now have the opportunity to continue to help advance educational equity and social justice in the college community.
The Social Equity Alumni (SEA) Network has been formed as an official alumni Affiliate Program Group (APG) in the College of Education.
An APG consists of alumni or friends of Penn State who have a common interest in a particular academic, professional or extracurricular activity that is related to a specific college or campus program.
“A vibrant BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) alumni network will foster meaningful relationships that support underrepresented engagement in all our college endeavors and advocacy for institutional change,” said María Schmidt, assistant dean for education and social equity.
“It intentionally empowers and strengthens relationships between current students and BIPOC alumni through networking, mentorship, professional development and community-building.”
The OESE, formerly the Office of Multicultural Programs, works to foster equity and inclusion by creating educational opportunities and experiences, raising awareness and developing strategies and tools to enhance intercultural, racial/ethnic competence.
Through various types of educational programming, partnerships, outreach and professional development, the office helps students to develop the skills that will enable them to become better educators and leaders.
SEA Network membership is open to any graduate or former student of the college, said Stefanie Tomlinson, assistant director of alumni relations in the College of Education.
The two main initiatives to kick-start the network are the Programming Committee, which will plan educational and social events; and the Mentoring Committee, which will serve as an informal informational resource for students who are part of OESE.
“We’re looking forward to the great things the SEA Network is going to do to connect alumni and to help the OESE further its goals,” said Tomlinson.
Jhan Doughty-Berry, senior program adviser for Research and Development-National Assessment of Educational Progress at ETS (Educational Testing Service), who received her master’s and doctorate from the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education, is the inaugural president of the SEA Network.
She said she is excited about the network’s potential to make meaningful change at the student and alumni level.