Emily Burke, Kyra Dulmage, Valerie Wolfson

Emily is a teacher at Oyster River Middle School in the Durham region, as well as a member of a fifth grade, newly-formed, Seacoast Educators for Equity (SEE) group. Their mission is to create more inclusive versions of history within their public school. Key to this work is helping students understand the language of racism and empathy. Emily shares this nomination with the two women who are responsible for forming SEE – and currently run a PLC on Antiracism for the staff, as well as a Social Justice Club for students – Kyra Dulmage and Valerie Wolfson. They deserve the recognition for making our community better by providing these spaces to learn and grow.

Emily’s passion for change in the classroom around diversity is challenging on its own – yet coupled with the pandemic and remote learning added to trying to build change. Establishing creative ways to teach the regular curriculum and building a community on Zoom, was incredibly difficult. In addition, the desire to share essential knowledge that touched more sensitive but the necessary topic of diversity and inclusion was just another hill to climb. Emily remains focused and passionate to share, teach and inspire her students. Whether working remotely with her cats on her desk or dog barking in the background, or a student clearly distracted by her own household pets, to being in person in the classroom — Emily keeps her mission focused on change – inspiring her students with compassion and empathy. Ms. B. (as her students call her) provides an unique approach — not a one size fits all end game. We can all learn from Emily and her views on life, acceptance, inclusion and equality. She inspires me every day.