The Office of Equity and Inclusivity's State High Office is now called

The H.O.M.E. Office!!

Located at State High C037

H.O.M.E.  stands for the following:

H= HOPE AND HEALING

O= OPPORTUNITIES AND BELONGING

M= MENTAL HEALTH & WELL BEING

E = EXCELLENCE IN EQUITY

Need to talk to someone? You can talk to a Peer! Peer Counselors are available in State High's H.O.M.E.  Office! 

You can request a peer counseling session here. 

Learn more about the Peer Counseling Program below! 

What is the general scope of the program?

The peer counseling program is an initiative organized by the Office of Equity to provide brief, peer support to students who have expressed a range of concerns. This program allows peer counselors, who have received training in basic counseling skills, to support students by listening to their concerns, helping to identify effective strategies, and connecting students with additional school and community resources. These sessions are by student request only and will last for 30-minutes.

 Who does the program serve?

The peer counseling program is available for any State High student who has verbally consented to receive services and who has completed the online self-referral form.

 Who will be supervising the program?

The Peer Counseling program is supervised by Ashley Diaz (amd47@scasd.org), SCASD Equity Liaison for the Office of Equity & Inclusivity, and Dr. Chatters (sjc22@scasd.org), Director of Equity & Inclusivity. Ashley and Dr. Chatters will also serve as peer counselor supervisors and will screen all student referrals before assigning them to peer counselors. The program is also supported by Daniela Sakara, Administrative Assistant for the Office of Equity & Inclusivity. 

 Student Opportunities

STEM Programs for students of color, grades 9-12

• Penn State Environmentors This program seeks students with a compelling interest in science and research and is dedicated to “engaging and impacting the lives of underrepresented high school students for careers in STEM.”  As a part of this program, high school students are paired with graduate level PSU students and their professors to undertake year-long research projects.  Environmentors applications are typically due in October. 

• The Rocket Lab Initiative: This initiative is spearheaded by Dr. Randall L. McEntaffer (he, him, his), Professor/Assoc. Head for the Graduate Program of Dept. of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Materials Science & Engineering at Penn State. TRLI is looking for Black and Latinx youth interested in the science field. Students must only have an interest in science; their level of science or math proficiency will not impact their ability to participate in the program. The program will include the development of potential experiments while working with mentors in the Astrophysics Department. Some experiments may be selected to be placed on a rocket to be launched into space in 2021!

• National Society of Black Engineers: NSBE is excited to be starting a high school chapter. NSBE State High chapter is a collaboration between the Penn State chapter and State High's science department. NSBE Jr. is looking for any underrepresented student of color interested in learning more about the STEM field. Meetings will include mentoring, working on projects, college prep support, and social-emotional support. 

High School Opportunities

• Diversity in STEM Virtual Careers Day: A team of peer advocates are organizing a virtual STEM career day specifically aimed at including underrepresented STEM professionals to connect with underrepresented youth. If you or your child would be interested in supporting the organization of this event, please email us at scasdequity@scasd.org. 

• Affinity Groups: Last year, through the Bridging Divides course at Delta, the Office of Equity was honored to have the opportunity to facilitate racial affinity groups throughout the semester. To learn more about the importance of racial affinity groups, you can find out more about racial affinity groups here. Below, please also find two articles regarding the perspective of an individual who participated in a racial affinity group and a Teaching Tolerance article on why they are important in predominantly White spaces. 

  How Racial Affinity Groups Saved My Life

  Making Space

  These racial affinity groups will be led by individuals who identify as a member of the racial group as well. Racial affinity groups have been found to provide safer spaces for youth of color who are in predominantly White spaces. If you or your child would be interested in joining a racial affinity group, please sign up here.

Leadership and Student Involvement Opportunities

• Social Justice Summer Institute

• Diversity and Activism Club: a student group that works collectively to advocate for various causes in their community and beyond. 

• The Cultural Experience: A student group that provides a space for students to connect with, explore, and learn about various aspects of their own and their peers racial and cultural identity. Activities such as guest speakers, field trips, mentoring, and small group chats are included. 

• LGBTQ+ Alliance: A student group that is a safer space for students who identify as LGBTQ+ and their allies. 

Mentoring and Support for Students

• Support for New Students: Are you or your child new to State College? Acclimating to a new school, new town, and new environment can be difficult on its own merits. Acclimation can be particularly difficult for youth of color. If you feel your child is in need of additional support, please reach out to our office at scasdequity@scasd.org as we have peer advocates ready to help. 
• Black Law Student Association (BLSA): The Black Law Student Association is interested in mentoring students who identify as Black/African-American. Mentoring topics include identity development, empowerment, college-readiness, and overall support. If you are interested in being paired with a mentor, please complete the interest form. 
• We also have various student groups from Penn State who are interested in mentoring and supporting students of color. We typically have more mentors than mentees. If you are interested in being matched with a mentor, please let us know. 

Do you have an equity-based opportunity for students?  Please contact Daniela Saraka, secretary for the Office of Equity & Inclusivity K-12.  

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