Our teams are the engine of The B.L.E.N.D., powering our collective efforts with concrete and strategic programming, content development, and operational support. Members are asked to contribute to one or more teams as a way of leveraging their skills to serve our members, deepening their existing skills and experience, and acquiring new skills and experience.
Membership and Community Team (Alain Berrouet, Chair)
- What we do: Our committee is responsible for directing B.L.E.N.D’s efforts to recruit and retain members. We also cultivate and maintain relationships with employees throughout the department of education. Furthermore we collaborate with fellow B.L.E.N.D Committees so we can determine how to most effectively leverage events and initiatives to keep members active and engaged.
- Why this work matters: Active members are the lifeblood of the organization. Our team looks to build collective efficacy within the different departments of the DOE. Without Active members recruiting in different departments it will be difficult for us to build our membership and more importantly measure our impact across the massive organization.
- Why you should join: Almost 135,000 people work full-time in New York City’s public school system. Each member may be looking to join B.L.E.N.D for different reasons such as companionship, survival and security or achievement. One of significant goals for this committee is to curate a space where employees of different affinities and cultures feel welcome and can engage in critical and courageous conversation about issues our organization is facing. This committee strongly believes in the importance of employee outreach and community partnerships. We have a social responsibility to engage DOE employees to be a part of this movement of equity and excellence. Martin Luther King once said “There is no noise as powerful as the sound of the marching feet of a determined people”. If you are naturally a people person and are willing to engage fellow employees to join this dynamic organization we welcome you.
Strategy and Communications Team (Abram Guerra, Chair)
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- What we do: Our team facilitates goal setting, decision making, and communication to organize our members around our mission and achieve our vision.
- Why this work matters: By organizing our members we will increase collective efficacy and tap into the potential of all our members and achieve our goals.
- Why you should join: If you are awesome at (or want to grow in your) messaging and communicating, or if you are awesome at (or want to grow in your) organizational behavior and leadership, and you want to help The BLEND grow, contact aguerra4@schools.nyc.gov
Relationships and Events Team (Renae Williams, Chair)
- What we do: Create dynamic spaces for the cultivation of meaningful professional and personal relationships to forge internal support systems.
delve deeply into our shared experiences, culture and self. We seek to actively enhance and enrich the DOE by charging non-people of color to participate, self-explore and self-actualize what it means to engage with Black and Latinx within and outside of the DOE - Why this work matters: Simply this work matters, because we matter. We deserve our own space without guilt. We also have an opportunity to shape the dialogue and action for how non-people of color understand and partake in diverse conversations.
- Why you should join: We welcome anyone who wants to be a thought partner or relationship curator in producing authentic opportunities to immerse ourselves in unapologetic celebration of US and tackling the task of getting more non-people of color to shed their privilege and understand what it means to truly be an advocate. If any of this matters or intrigues you, please reach out to Renae at rwilliams64@schools.nyc.gov
Research and Professional Development Team (Britt Guillory, Co-Chair; Sugeni Perez-Sadler, Co-Chair)
- What we do: The PD&R Team is tasked with providing resources and opportunities for BLEND members to highlight their expertise and accelerate the development of their professional goals.
- Why this work matters: Highlighting and developing the capabilities of our members is a core reason that The B.L.E.N.D. exists!
- Why you should join: If you have experience or an interest in researching, designing and implementing forums, educational programs, networking and mentoring, or other similar opportunities contact Sugeni or Britt directly at sperezsadler@schools.nyc.gov and bguillory@schools.nyc.gov