At full staff
Folk art
Group funds interns at Mt. Philo, Vermont’s oldest state park
Collection back on display at Shelburne Museum
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Volume 51 Number 36
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Champlain Valley School District
Late summer denizens
Director of diversity builds on experience
think there’s no need for DEI, but actually they need more,” she said. “You don’t know what diversity is With the Red Sea and the and how you can be inclusive and Arabian Peninsula to the east, the why you need it. Your children Nile River cutting through much will not be in this environment of the country, and countries like all the time, they will go out into Egypt, Ethiopia, Chad and Libya the world, they will need to know surrounding it, Sudan makes for what is going on, and that’s what a hotbed of ethnic and cultural the district is” trying to pursue, “for them to be out in the diversity, with more than world and be good citia dozen ethnic groups zens.” and hundreds of ethnic The role does not subgroups calling the come without controvercountry home. sy. This is where Dr. Abunaib, who began Asma Abunaib grew up, in June this year, is the initially hoping to pursue third person to take on a career in textile engithe role in two years. neering in her youth but The district’s first direceventually pivoting to tor of diversity, equity a career working with Dr. Asma Abunaib and inclusion, Rhianinternational humaninon Kim, quit six days tarian organizations in a country that has been mired with after being hired in July 2020. The conflict for decades — through the second director, Liliana Rodriguez, first and second Sundanese Civil resigned last year, citing health and family concerns during the War and the War in Darfur. It makes Abunaib, the newest COVID-19 pandemic. But Abunaib says she has a director of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for the Cham- solid foundation to begin her work, plain Valley School District both and one that should set her up for wildly overqualified and perhaps success. Her full-time position exactly what is needed for the larg- gives her plenty of time for the role, est school district in Chittenden and her team, she says, all underCounty, which is 90 percent white stand the nature of the community (Vermont is even whiter at 95 and what challenges it faces. “The district valued the posipercent white), according to 2022 tion, you can feel the leadership is census figures. “In the communities where See DIVERSITY on page 5 there’s less ethnic diversity, people COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY LEE KROHN
A monarch rests on a hydrangea blushed with pink.
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