Forum to discusswelcoming refugeechildren to schools

NORTHAMPTON — The Valley Interfaith Refugee Action Group will hold a forum, “Welcoming Refugee Children to Our Local Public Schools,” on Sunday, Sept. 29, from 3:30-5:30 p.m., at Edwards Church, 297 Main St.

Featured speakers are Gwen Agna, former principal at Jackson Street School in Northampton and member of the Northampton School Committee, and Amanda Gauthier, founding principal of Emergence Academy in Springfield.

Jackson Street School, located next to Hampshire Heights public housing project, has pioneered programs of outreach to families as part of a broad program of support to a diverse student population.

Emergence Academy is a four-year-old experimental public middle school designed specifically for the needs of immigrant and migrant children, most of whom who are “level 1 English language learners” and whose education has been limited or interrupted due to family dislocation, among other factors.

Agna, a Fulbright scholar born in Myanmar, began her career in Northampton schools as early childhood and civil rights coordinator in the late 1980s and 90s. In this role she worked to incorporate social justice, anti-bias and anti-racism learning into classroom practice.

Gauthier, who has been involved in the development of innovative schools in urban settings since 2013, has a doctorate in leadership and learning in organizations from Vanderbilt University and a bachelor’s in business administration from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.

The in-person program will also be available on Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83879137221?pwd=QOiMnFItGC2TJSuhXUN6iMCoRDcdvU.1 Meeting ID is 838 7913 7221 and the Pass Code is 547183.

For more information, contact VIRAG member Ellen Koteen at e-l-k@comcast.net.

‘Inspired Giving’ topic of HCC talk

HOLYOKE — Financial adviser Donna DeFant, a 1977 graduate of Holyoke Community College, will return to her alma mater on Friday, Sept. 27, to talk about “Inspired Giving.”

Her presentation, which begins at 10 a.m., will be held in HCC’s Learning Collaborative, on the second floor of the Frost Building, 303 Homestead Ave. It can also be viewed over Zoom.

During her presentation, DeFant will discuss the fundamentals of charitably minded investing and answer questions based on recent developments in the world of finance.

DeFant grew up in West Springfield and graduated from HCC with an associate degree in business before moving on to Western New England College, where earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

She worked as a financial adviser for Shearson Financial Services for several years before moving to Florida in 1989, where she worked as a certified financial consultant for 32 years, including serving as a vice president for Wells Fargo.

The public event is free, but seats in the Learning Collaborative are limited, so advance registration is recommended.

To RSVP, or to register for remote viewing via Zoom, visit hcc.edu/inspired or contact John Sieracki, HCC leadership gift officer, at 413-687-0322 or jsieracki@hcc.edu.