Testimonials from our Participants

Professional Development

As the lead consultant for culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy (CRRP) in the East High School/University of Rochester Partnership, Dr. James-Wilson has played a critical role in our school’s approach to equity, diversity, and inclusion through her consultation and facilitation of professional learning. Over the past 5 years, she has worked diligently with various groups including administrators, teacher leaders, small groups of teachers, the full staff, parents, and students in ways that have leveraged existing assets within our school community, built capacity, and engendered further leadership of this work from others. Through her expert guidance, East’s vision for CRRP was clearly articulated, our guiding framework established, and we have made tremendous progress enhancing the relevance and responsiveness of our curriculum. We are grateful for the ways in which she has supported us in deepening our own understandings and developing culturally sustaining mindsets that have become integral to teaching, learning, leadership and decision-making at East. — J. Rees, Chief Academic Officer

Dr. James-Wilson worked with my staff over the course of two years to deepen our understanding of diversity, equity, and culturally responsive pedagogy. The staff and I greatly appreciated her knowledge and her ability to contextualize our beliefs, assumptions, and our ways of engaging with a diverse population of students. Dr. James-Wilson helped us to examine the broad structures of our history-based curriculum and to mine it for opportunities to better address issues of social justice. Our teachers learned to design units that meaningfully connect people and events from the past with the struggles and successes our students witness in the present. Dr. James-Wilson facilitated teachers’ planning of activities and projects to help students understand their own identities and equip them to become young activists. She also helped us examine even our smallest interactions with students and families so that we were aware of hidden biases, micro-aggressions, and injustices. The information she provided, the questions she asked, and the support she offered helped us to make strides toward providing all of our students and families with a more equitable and relevant educational experience. I highly recommend contracting with Dr. James-Wilson for professional development and support in the areas of arts integration, culturally responsive pedagogy, and curriculum development. Her work with my school was instrumental in moving us forward in our efforts to serve our diverse population of students and families. — Dr. L. Wing, Charter School Principal

Dr. Sonia James-Wilson has had a major impact on who I am as a cultural being and an educator. On a personal level, she has helped open my eyes to what culture really is, and how much of an impact it has on shaping who an individual is, and who they might become. On a professional level, Dr. Sonia has helped me to understand the importance of acknowledging, and using, the varied cultural backgrounds of my students in the classroom. Over the past couple of years, we have worked to refine a project in which students are able to investigate their cultural identities. This project has been transformed from copies of worksheets to the actual production of a book, none of which would have been possible without her help and support. Outside of this specific project, Dr. Sonia has helped me in countless ways. Whether she’s been in transit to or from another country, operating on just hours of sleep, or in between major projects, she has always made time for me. Dr. James-Wilson has given so much of herself—her expertise, her time, her personal resources, and her connections—to help further me as an educator and to enhance the learning experiences I am able to provide to my students. And for that, I will be forever grateful. — Q. Mitchell, Secondary School Social Studies Teacher

As a member of our Staff Development Work Group, I worked closely with Dr. James-Wilson to develop programs that were and are advantageous to our staff regarding communication with immigrant and refugee families, and to our relationship with them and the community at large. She has shown a keen knowledge of these groups and has been extremely professional in her dealings with them and all of our staff. Dr. James-Wilson has exhibited knowledge of the pressure that teachers are often under, and has always adjusted her schedule to accommodate our needs. The materials and the activities that she has presented to us, in which I have participated wholeheartedly, have truly changed my understanding of how to support immigrant and refugee children from all over the world. This work has literally changed my thinking and teaching practice. — C. D'Angelo, Elementary School Teacher

Dr. Sonia James-Wilson was instrumental in co-developing with me a 4-day intensive institute that aligned anti-racism and decolonial perspectives with Indigenous knowledges that was delivered to educators at Waterloo Catholic District School Board.  This summer institute, which was presented to educators from Kindergarten to Grade 12, encouraged and facilitated personal growth, and increased teachers’ understanding of culture, while weaving their own professional knowledge of pedagogy and curriculum in a culturally responsive and relevant matter. I am always thrilled to work with Dr. Sonia as she has a straight forward, no holds barred approach that is nested within her personal philosophy that change can happen when participants are supported, heard and encouraged. I always look forward to our collaborations. — T. Webster, K-12 Indigenous Support Teacher (Canada)

I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Sonia James-Wilson as a part of East/EPO Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy (CRRP) Committee for the past 5 years. I have also attended several trainings, book circles, learning circles and summer institutes in which Dr. Sonia led work focusing on self-exploration through hands-on art activities, collaborative inquiry and an introduction to the theoretical frameworks of CRRP. During this 5-year timeframe I was also able to collaborate with Dr. Sonia on curriculum development with a concentration on my specific discipline of social work and I learned how to broaden the inclusion of culturally relevant lessons within my practice. I have valued my learning experiences with Dr. Sonia and am looking forward to continuing our work together. — L. Beaty-Gladney, Social Worker

Half of our student body is from other countries and 26 languages are spoken here, so we identified learning more about these populations as a priority. Dr. James-Wilson worked with our staff to develop a vision of our needs, offered ideas for how to meet those needs, and planned a full year of professional development activities. She is a very competent facilitator and is able to establish a comfort level that encourages staff to openly share feelings, and take risks when exploring issues. She also provides information that allows for immediate impact towards student success. The most rewarding event she organized was the “Educating Immigrant and Refugee Students in Rochester Schools” panel. Dr. James-Wilson connected us with community leaders, organized everyone's calendars, and led the panel discussion. The entire staff has rated this experience as the best professional development they have ever had. As the only administrator in this school, I have very much appreciated Dr. James-Wilson’s vision, patience with our school processes, and enthusiasm when taking on challenges. We could not have presented such a complete package of professional development without help, and she was the perfect partner. — P. Townsend, Program Administrator

In my time working with Dr. Sonia, she has been an inspiration as well as a wealth of knowledge for myself, my team, and our school. She has caused me to reflect on my pedagogy continuously, and supported creativity in my classroom. I have grown so much as a teacher and coach through our work together. Dr. Sonia supported me in the writing of a social justice curriculum that created authentic, culturally relevant experiences for me and my students. Due to her expertise, students across grade levels have benefitted immensely. — A. Tarantino, Secondary School Literacy Teacher