CREATE (Culturally Responsive Educators Academy & Training for Equity

Program Description

The purpose of CREATE is to allow faculty to engage in practices that embrace the unique experiences, perspectives, and needs of Miramar College’s diverse students by creating a learning environment that is inclusive and supportive and leads to student success.

The CREATE program promotes inquiry and self-awareness as to the development of epistemologies, specifically in relation to historically racially marginalized communities, and faculty will use disaggregated course data to identify strengths and opportunities for growth in

their practice, understand equity data stories, and set goals for equitable outcomes. CREATE is a 10-week paid professional development program for faculty. Cohort 3 runs from Monday, February 10 to Friday, April 25; the tentative schedule and further details are below.

Program Outcomes 

Faculty will leave CREATE with practical strategies for the classroom, an understanding of the

teaching philosophies of culturally responsive and inclusive teaching, and a community of

instructors for continued collaboration and growth. In addition, faculty who complete CREATE

will:

  1. Understand historical factors in higher education that impact students and influence classroom culture, such as race and racism, oppression and intersectionality, and the system of meritocracy.
  2. Analyze disaggregated course- and instructor-level data to identify strengths an opportunities for growth in their own teaching practice.
  3. Engage in self-inquiry and critical self-reflection of classroom and teaching practices, particularly in relation to historically racially marginalized communities.
  4. Create classroom and curricular changes based on culturally responsive and assess interventions to engage in a cycle of continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities and Commitments for Participants

To help ensure a collaborative and impactful learning environment, there are important responsibilities, expectations, and commitments for faculty in CREATE:

  1. Active participation each week of the course
    1. CREATE will have a blend of modalities. The main modalities will be asynchronous (via Canvas) and synchronous (via Zoom). There will also be an in-person session (see item 2 below).
      1. Participation in both modalities is required; see the tentative schedule for required Zoom meetings.
      2. Please make sure you are comfortable with online platforms, including navigating Canvas and completing some asynchronous activities.
      3. While there is no perfect modality for all potential participants, a blend of live Zoom and asynchronous work can allow for more participants, especially when considering the diversity of faculty (e.g., employment type, geographic considerations, obligations outside of teaching and the college).
    2. There will be weekly readings.
      1. There will be two main books for CREATE; they are provided free of cost to each participant.
      2. Participants can expect about 30-50 pages of reading per week.
    3. There will be discussions, assignments, self-reflections, surveys, and other learning assignments each week.
  2. In-Person Participation at the Culturally Responsive Teaching Symposium
    1. Miramar will host a Culturally Responsive Teaching Symposium during the Spring Semester tentatively scheduled for Friday, April 11; the time is TBD but will likely be from 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
    2. CREATE participants are expected to attend.
  3. Time Commitment and Compensation
    1. The course is ten weeks long.
    2. The program runs from Monday, February 10 to Friday, April 25.
    3. The content for CREATE is designed to take about 4 hours each week; a total of 40 non-classroom hours are available for participants during the program.
    4. Faculty will be compensated at their non-classroom hourly rate; faculty will report their hours in PeopleSoft.
  4. Reflection and Implementation Project
    1. The final requirement of CREATE is a Reflection and Implementation Project in which faculty will engage in critical self-reflection and goal setting as they implement CRT strategies into their courses.
  5. Continued Learning and Growth
    1. CREATE faculty are expected to share their work at future campus-wide events, such as Fall 2025 Convocation, the Equity Summit (Fall 2025), and/or Miramar Community Days.

Texts and Facilitators

Texts

Participants will read and discuss many sections of the two books listed below. Participants will receive their own copies of the texts to keep.

• Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain by Zaretta Hammond

• Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom by Kelly A. Hogan and Viji Sathy

Facilitators

Miramar Facilitators

Dr. Stefanie Johnson Shipman, English Professor

  • CREATE faculty coordinator; will facilitate both Canvas and Zoom sessions
  • sjohnson@sdccd.edu

Dr. Nessa Julian, Dean of Equity

  • Assist with facilitation and assist with other administrative needs
  • njulian@sdccd.edu

Guest Facilitators

To be announced

For more information, please review the Program Outline here.