The Regional School Success (RSS) Department at TST BOCES is proud to co-host the Diversity and Inclusivity Symposium of Thought Leaders 2025, in partnership with the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS), LEAF Inc., and the Ithaca City School District. The symposium will take place August 11–12 at Ithaca High School, giving educators and leaders from across New York State the opportunity to engage in meaningful learning rooted in community, history, equity, and inclusion.
First held in 2018, the Diversity Symposium was created to support thoughtful dialogue, shared leadership, and inclusive educational practice. The 2025 theme, "Cultivating Excellence and Equity," invites participants to explore how connecting local history to teaching and leadership practices can strengthen equity efforts across schools and districts.
Keynote presenters will bring both local insight and national perspective to the two-day program. The event will open with an address from Lily Talcott, District Superintendent and CEO of TST BOCES, whose leadership has helped shape equity-centered initiatives throughout the region. She will be joined by Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Dr. Angel Acosta, and Dr. Luvelle Brown, Superintendent of Ithaca City School District, each offering deep expertise in equity, identity, and healing in education. Together, these speakers will guide participants in reflecting on their own practices while learning from the work happening across the state and nation.
Throughout the symposium, educators will take part in workshops and field experiences designed to connect the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion with the lived histories of local communities. By rooting professional learning in place and context, the symposium encourages participants to reflect on how they might uncover, honor, and integrate their own community stories into their classrooms, leadership practices, and school culture. All of this work is in service of realizing the NYSED Portrait of a Graduate, and the other movement elements of New York Inspires.
Sessions will explore a wide range of topics including culturally inclusive arts programming, equitable hiring practices, affirming classroom environments, and data-informed approaches to addressing disproportionality in special education. Many workshops are grounded in the stories of our region, including one that highlights the NYS Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CRSE) Framework. Other sessions focus on Indigenous land stewardship and agriculture, as well as the lasting contributions of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to American democracy.
New this year, the symposium includes a series of afternoon field experiences that invite participants to step beyond the classroom and explore the intersections of history, culture, and equity in the communities that surround us. These local excursions offer a variety of options for hands-on learning throughout the Ithaca area and surrounding communities.
Participants can:
Explore the Farming for Freedom Trail to examine food justice and sustainable agriculture. This experience includes a visit to the Groundswell Incubator Farm in Ithaca, followed by a choice between Loving Farms in Candor, where participants will explore the impact of climate change on vegetable farming, or Viva Acres in Hector, which focuses on sustainable and ethical fiber production.
Visit the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, where museum educators will introduce participants to the galleries and share ways to use global art collections to engage students in conversations around diversity, inclusion, and identity. Participants will also learn about the museum’s outreach opportunities for schools.
Archeological dig at St. James AME Zion Church in Ithaca, a documented Underground Railroad site with deep historical ties to anti-slavery movements and community resilience. Reverend Terrance King will lead a tour and discussion of the church’s history and current excavation site, which has served as a powerful hands-on learning opportunity for local students.
Travel to the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, to explore Tubman’s legacy, her enduring ties to the A.M.E. Zion Church, and how her life story continues to inspire community activism and historical education.
Transportation will be provided for all off-site experiences. These visits are designed to connect the day’s workshops with real-world examples of culturally responsive, community-rooted education, offering inspiration for educators to explore and elevate the histories of their own local contexts.
This symposium is designed for anyone in the field of education—teachers, support staff, administrators, board of education members, and state education professionals. Whether attending as part of a district team or as an individual, all participants will find opportunities to learn, connect, and bring new tools and insights back to their learning communities.
Event Details:
Dates: August 11–12, 2025
Location: Ithaca High School, 1401 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY
Time: Day 1: 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; Day 2: 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Cost:
$299 for districts participating in TST BOCES' DEI service
$399 for all other participants
What’s included: Breakfast, lunch, a networking reception, all conference materials, and transportation to field experiences
Registration Deadline: July 28, 2025
All self-pay participants must be paid in full by this date
Register here:
www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=10453&I=5076251
Questions?
For program or lodging inquiries, contact Vren Banks, Director, LEAF, Inc.
vren@nyscoss.org | 518.694.4875For registration or billing, contact Emily Wemmer, Director of Regional School Success, TST BOCES | ewemmer@tstboces.org | 607.257.1551 ext. 7202