Celebrations 🥳
PIE was born over a decade ago by Detroit educators and teaching artists under the name Detroit Future Schools and the idea that student-led media making could transform classrooms and learning. Since then, the project has continued to evolve based on our collective reflections and learnings. Our commitment to growth and transformation allows us to shape our role in the ever changing context and experiment with new offerings that are rooted in our frameworks and humanizing practices.
Over the past few years, PIE has been in a moment of deep intentional change and expansion. As the Director, I am overwhelmed with pride and gratitude for what the PIE Team has accomplished (within the context of a pandemic no less!). The list of accomplishments to celebrate is long, including:
Reimagining our AIR program into the afterschool PIE MEDIA LAB for young Detroiters
Expanding our adult trainings from moving RIDA online to creating Radical Wellness for Education Leaders
Training up PIE Facilitators and creating a new coaching framework rooted in “Loving Accountability”
Creating new resource offerings and youth-led media projects
Partnering with 482Forward, Healing By Choice!, Emergent Strategy Ideation Institute, The James and Grace Lee Boggs School and UNI among others
Investing in and learning from our facilitation and teaching artist fellows: Kiarra Ambrose, Sheena Crenshaw and salyem celeste
In the last three years we have worked with over 70 youth, 46 educators, created four new resources and three new program offerings and expanded leadership with two facilitation fellows and a new teaching artist fellow. Yet what makes me most proud isn't captured by the numbers but how we got here. We navigated the past few years of this dangerous and urgent context by caring for each other and ourselves, taking breaks, asking questions and seeking to be more responsive than reactive to shape the change around us in an aligned and thoughtful way. By doing this, we created new pathways for folks to enter into the PIE playground to practice new ways of being to move towards more humanizing learning environments for all.
Transitions:
I will be stepping down as the Director of PIE in August. As I make my transition, I’m filled with joy, pride and gratitude. I came to PIE to support the decentralization of leadership and evolution of programming. As you can see from the accomplishments outline above I’m happy to report that PIE is in very different place. I am also very different person. In relationship with the PIE Team and folks we have worked with I have transformed in many ways. I am leaving my directorship with a deeper commitment to slowing down, sitting in discomfort and honoring the power of intentional practice in the name of transformation. These learnings continue to aid me in all aspects of life including my newest journey of motherhood.
What’s Next?
PIE is taking an extended break for the month of August for a much needed rest, reset and reflection. Nate Mullen, former PIE Director and current Special Advisor, will be acting as the Interim Leader with support from our wonderful advisory board. He will help lead restructuring the leadership team into a shape that matches our values and latest evolution. I will be near to support programming and larger transitions while I tend to and honor my new phase of life. PIE will continue to offer radical programming offerings that center humanizing practices so stay tuned for more to come!
Thank you to everyone who made my time at PIE incredibly magical 🪄
With immense gratitude,
Siobhan
