United in Purpose: An Evening of Community, Justice, and Joy

Get ready — something special is happening! 🎉
Mark your calendars for the first-ever National PoCIS Connection, uniting SoCal POCIS with NorCal, New York, St. Louis, New England, and more!

This isn’t just a gathering — it’s a celebration of community, purpose, and joy. Join us for our inaugural UnSung Hero Award, BIPOC Head of School recognition, celebratory performances from local educators, and celebrate our national connection with PoCIS chapters across the country.

Let’s connect, be inspired, and celebrate inclusive excellence together.

This event is funded in part by a grant from NAIS.

Los Angeles has 2 locations:

The Gathering Spot

5211 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016

Damn I Miss Paris

5162 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016

San Diego location

117 West Spirits

2332 La Mirada Dr Ste 800, Vista, CA 92081

Friday Dec 5, 4:30p

For all independent school staff, faculty, and administrators.

When: Saturday, October 11th, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where: The Bishop’s School

*Light breakfast and lunch will be served.

For all independent school staff, faculty, and administrators.

When: Saturday, October 4th, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where: St. Matthew’s Parish School

*Light breakfast and lunch will be served.

**Please park on P1

Virtual Event

Join us for an important conversation with immigration lawyer Alida Garcia (Private School Village board member and founder of Twin Impact) as we explore:

• The current landscape of immigration in Los Angeles
• Practical strategies for supporting teachers/faculty, students, and families

This event is designed for administrators, teachers, and staff in independent schools. Together, we’ll strengthen our capacity to foster inclusive, equitable, and safe learning environments for all students.

Dear SoCal POCIS Friends,

SoCal POCIS is excited to partner with Carlthorp School for this year’s Coffee & Convo event at Good People Coffee. Come kick off the year with this fun and casual event to reconnect, build community, and spark meaningful conversations with fellow administrators, faculty, and staff of color in SoCal Independent Schools. 

📅 Date: Friday, August 22

⏰ Time: 9am – 11am

📍 11609 Santa Monica Blvd, West Los Angeles

Join us for our speaker series event with Britt Hawthorne, author of the book Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide.

For all independent school staff, faculty, and administrators.

When: Thursday, May 8th, 10a – 2p
Where: John Thomas Dye School

Use this address for parking:

971 Linda Flora Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90049

*Lunch will be served.

Join us for Rethinking Diversity: Intersections of DEIJ and Technology with Stacie Muñoz and Saber Khan.

How do emerging technologies shape what we know, determine who holds power, and affect our collective futures?  Join us for an evening with Saber Khan (Campbell Hall) & Stacie Muñoz (Oakwood School), two local and leading voices in educational technology. Join us for a conversation that will challenge assumptions, spark new perspectives, and help us rethink the intersection of technology and DEIJ in independent schools.

For all independent school staff, faculty, and administrators.

When:

Tuesday, March 18th, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Where:

Sequoyah School

535 S Pasadena Ave

*Light refreshments will be served.

This new event will focus brining back the experiences and the learning from the NAIS People of Color Conference. This whole day event will focus on networking, collaboration, affinity, and DEI skills.

For all independent school staff, faculty, and administrators.

When: Saturday, February 22nd, 8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Where: Wesley School

*Light breakfast (8:30a-9:00a) and lunch will be served.

Join us right after for a happy hour social at Mardi Gras Tuesday at 14543 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, Ca 91403

Facilitated by Dr. Steven Jones and Dr. Shelly Tochluk

Our morning will begin with a whole group discussion, then participants will break into two race-based affinity groups BIPOC and White Anti-Racist, to examine group dynamics and practice reflection.

Dr. Jones will lead the BIPOC group for a time of healing deepening understanding and moving toward restorative actions. The White Anti-Racist group with Dr. Tochluk will spend the day addressing anti-racism and activism.

For all independent school staff, faculty, and administrators.

When: Saturday, October 5th, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where: St. Matthew’s Parish School

*Light breakfast and lunch will be served.

SoCal POCIS invites all independent school staff, faculty, and administrators.

People with Asian heritage and those under the Asian American Pacific Islander umbrella tend to be labeled as the “model minority” where we are unfairly generalized and stereotyped, which means that our actual experiences are rendered invisible or invalid. This also pits us against other marginalized groups to prevent solidarity. In this presentation, we will explore the complex aspects of what it means to be AAPI in America, explore the history of anti-Asian hate, and extend our knowledge to better understand our students.

About Drew:

Dr. Drew Ishii is a SoCal POCIS board member and the chair of the AsEA Conference Southern California team. He also served as a co-chair of the NAIS People of Color Conference in Anaheim. Drew has facilitated workshops at many independent schools, and spoken at numerous national and international conferences.  He has conducted professional development sessions, and led many DEIB initiatives. He is currently the chair of the mathematics department at Sage Hill School.

When: Thursday, March 7, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Where: Vistamar School 737 Hawaii St., El Segundo, CA 90245

*Light refreshments will be served.