2019 Diversity Awards Recipients
Coalition of Asian American Leader, Hello Neighbor MinneAsianStories initiative
Led by Executive and Network Director Bo Thao-Urabe, CAAL’s unique storytelling initiative brings together multi-ethnic groups to portray the rich diversity and multiculturalism of people of Asian Pacific descent living in Minnesota. Through their stories, they can build new relationships to help ensure that Asian Pacific Americans are included in the collective efforts that make Minnesota a better place for everyone.
Coalition of Asian American Leaders – 2019 Diversity Award Winner video
Chao Mwatela, Rochester Community & Technical College
Chao Mwatela is RCTC’s Multicultural Academic Advisor. Immigrating to the U.S. from Kenya when she was 19, Chao knows firsthand the challenges that multicultural students face. She is driven to build an equitable environment for all students by bringing new diversity & inclusion policies and initiatives to the campus that remove persistent barriers to success for those facing adversity.
Carnation Student Podcast Team, A collaboration with Family Means’ Cimarron Teen Program and StoryArk
A team of students has created an original narrative podcast called Carnation, a collaborative endeavor that focuses on elevating student voice and leadership in order to improve and ensure inclusiveness in the school’s culture and environment. The group of first-generation immigrant students use the power of storytelling to depict realistic fiction about topical issues, including immigration, deportation and discrimination.
Carnation Student Podcast Team – 2019 Diversity Award Winner video
South Saint Paul Secondary School, Affinity Group’s Teachers
The teacher’s groups, led by Minnesota’s 2019 Teacher of the Year Jessica Davis, promote much-needed conversations around the school’s increasingly diverse student population. They work with students from diverse cultural backgrounds, including new-to-country and multilingual learners that are underrepresented in the community, to take their experiences of being marginalized and repurpose them into a source of energy for positive change.
Regional Emmy Award-winning actor, vocalist, educator and activist T. Mychael Rambo performed to a sold-out audience
Jenny Buccos and Kevin May announced Cultural Jambalaya’s new partnership with ProjectExplorer.