Summer Interns Supporting Equity & Inclusion
CAYLA Interns in OEI
Nancy (left) and Ana (right) work on projects in the Office of Equity & Inclusion
We have the pleasure of hosting two CAYLA high school interns in the Office of Equity & Inclusion this summer. Ana Huerta and Nancy Membreno are passionate about equity and justice.They have assisted with analyzing policies for equity, attended council and community meetings, toured APD, AFD, and the historic block district, and are working on special projects developing equity action plans that make improvements in education (Nancy) and rights for women (Ana). They have each written a short piece to contribute to the newsletter below:
Ana:
Gender equity is dealt with in local governments by representation and support. The City of Asheville shows representation by having an all women City Council. More governments around the US have been striving to show more representation by having more women Mayors. One local government in Australia showed support by introducing the Gender Equity Advisory Committee (GEAC). However, I believe that in the United States local governments are not aware in showing support even though there have been some accomplishments. I think creating more organizations or non-profits will help strive to meet gender equity. I also think more media outlets should shed light on how equity is being dealt with. We often see the issues around gender equity in a negative aspect. If media outlets talked more of the success the US has done for gender equity, it could generate energy to strive for more representation and support.
Nancy:
Education improvement should mean more than recruiting, rewarding good teachers/ removing the bad ones. I believe that students deserve the best education and be allowed a safe environment. However, many teachers do not have the resources or training to support their students, and teachers do not receive much aid from the government. In 2021 the National non-profit released a survey showing that teachers spend an average of $750 out of pocket each year. Over half a million teachers have left their profession in the past school year due to stress, low pay, and more. The public yet again is witnessing how dysfunctional school systems are. It is time for the government to make a change for the future generation. The state and local government needs to update students' curricula with updated information and skills they will need for the future: learning about taxes, credit cards vs. debit cards, insurance, finance, world history, geography, and current events. A few things the local government can do is improve or create new education policies to provide more funding for public schools and provide more training for teachers on mental health, addressing bullying and racism. Even acknowledging the faults in the education system is taking a step in the right direction.
Lights on Program
Ana, CAYLA intern, observed the press release for the Lights on Program
Our Office of Equity and Inclusion in collaboration with our City of Asheville Police Department have partnered with the Lights on Program, a national non-profit organization, and Jack Smith's Auto repair shop located at 240 Biltmore Ave. The Lights on Program is a national program that works with law enforcement around the country in building improved and meaningful relationships with their communities. Understanding the economic and social crises that we face in our nation today, instead of presenting a traffic violation ticket to citizens with a burnt out headlight, tail light or turning signal, APD will instead extend to our Asheville citizens a voucher worth $250 to be taken to Jack Smith's Auto Repair, present the voucher as a form of payment for the repairs and there is no cost to the citizen. Jack Smith Auto Repair will then submit the voucher to the Lights on Program headquarters for payment. Asheville is the first city in NC to offer this to our citizens and we are excited about offering this to our community as an effort of offering financial relief, improving relationships, and continuing to build a strong sense of Community here in Asheville
Training Interns in Racial Equity
Back row, from left to right: Mark Finnamore (MC Scholar, 2025); Markus Kirkman (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant, City of Asheville); Justin Goldman (MC Scholar, 2025); Dante (Andrea's nephew and student at A-B Tech). Front row, from left to right: Karli Stephenson (Urban Designer, City of Asheville); Andrea Clarke (Artist and Historian); Alaina Shields (MC Scholar, 2025); Jess Hoffman (MC Scholar, 2025); Ria Patel (MC Scholar, 2025). Photo by Dana Frankel (Downtown Development Specialist, City of Asheville).
Our OEI Trainer Marcus Kirkman facilitated the Advancing Racial Equity 101 Foundations course to five (5) UNC Chapel Hill Morehead Cain Scholars who are interning with the Planning Department to support the visioning for Pack Square and to the George Washington University graduate student who is also interning with the Planning Department. Kirkman also delivered this training to over thirty CAYLA high school interns who are serving in various departments with the City and with local organizations.
Local artist and historian Andrea Clarke gave the 5 Morehead Cain Scholars a mini tour of the James Vester Miller Walking Trail starting at the beautiful Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church and ending at Triangle Park's historic mural by Molly Must. The Scholars are working with the Planning and Urban Design Department this summer, focused on inclusive engagement for the Pack Square Plaza Visioning project.
Learning how Nature-based STEAM Programming can Support Learning for BIPOC Youth
Equity was on the move again in the month of July. Not only were we on the move within Asheville’s communities but our Community Outreach Coordinator Darian Blue had an amazing opportunity to travel to Portland, Oregon to learn from and engage with an Environmental Justice organization called ELSO (Experience Life Science Outdoors). ELSO’s Mission: “to teach and frame STEAM [Science,Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math] and nature based education through a lens that centers and elevates the stories, ways of knowing, individual needs, and lived experiences of Black and Brown communities.” Through this experience, we learned about the inequities and lack of inclusiveness for Black and Brown youth in nature. We also had an opportunity to see an organization deliver justice in real time that effectively combats this issue. We are excited to bring what we learned from our Portland experience back to Asheville. Asheville has an incredible opportunity to its unique landscape to Black and Brown youth in our city. Connections to nature are important for healthy youth development and they can support academic learning as well. We look forward to building relationships with organizations who have a passion for this work and connecting them with the beautiful, brilliant and bright Black and Brown minds within our city.
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