Changing lives through educational equity in Delaware

DELAWARE- Inclusivity and a safe space. Delaware high school senior, Shelby Farris, is lending a helping hand to her community to try and make sure all educational experiences reflect this.

“Students who just feel heard, who feel supported, who are able to talk things through, who are able to feel like they are not alone their mental health is like so greatly impacted by just having a community,” Shelby Farris, who created Students for Educational Equity in the United States, said.

In 2020, Farris noticed issues she and other students were having in schools. For example, bullying, discrimination, and mental health issues because of their identity. “I myself am part of the LGBTQ+ community and it was very hard after I came out, there were some comments and issues in school, Farris said.

That wasn’t the only challenge. She has a 504 plan, which is intended to create support systems in schools to help meet academic success. During the pandemic, student accommodations were hard to get. “With the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of the 504’s and the IEP’s didn’t really help anymore,” Farris said. “It was the combinations that didn’t really make sense for the virtual learning world and students and families didn’t really know what to do.”

She knew something had to change. So, she eventually created Students for Educational Equity in the United States, also known as SEE US. “We are tackling kind of the root of issues that are faced in schools, so educating, we are doing trainings to educate,” Farris said. The work doesn’t end there though, Farris is also hosting events informing students, educators, and families about the LGBTQ + community. “So, by having these conversations and having a safe place for people to ask questions we’re able to really tackle the issue at the root and prevent discrimination from happening in the future.”

“By being this safe space for students who are not only facing those issues but issues with 504’s, IEP’s, mental health, it’s a really rewarding feeling to know that I’m helping them in the same way that I needed help,” Farris said.

Shelby said her big conference that she will have is called Proud Schools it will happen on October 14 at Positive Outcomes Charter School. Shelby said throughout the year they will go to other schools who request training for teachers.

The organization is currently in Delaware and partially in Maryland, but Shelby does hope to make this a nationwide effort and partner with more schools.