Empathy Collective
Welcome to the Empathy Collective, a program designed to bring Blake’s Commitment to Pluralism to life through vibrant Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and open-hearted conversation. The collective is run by the Office of Equity and Community Engagement (OECE) whose vision is to lead, facilitate and support individual and school-wide efforts that foster equity and inclusion.
Whether you’re a student, faculty or staff member, parent or guardian, alum or part of the broader Blake community, it’s easy to join the conversation. Simply show up, share if you’d like or just listen. There’s no special training needed, no pressure—just curiosity and kindness.
Empathy isn’t about being a superhero, it’s about connection. By leaning in, listening deeply and speaking authentically, we shape a space where empathy and pluralism guide how we feel, think, and belong together. Your presence, your voice, your perspective—all of it contributes to building something brighter.
2026-2027 Empathy Collective Offerings
Universal Design & Neurodiversity
Date: TBD
What if the changes that help one student made things better for everyone? That's the heart of universal design. We'll look at how neurodivergent kids experience the spaces we ask them to learn and live in and then get specific about lighting, noise, seating, clutter and those five squirrelly minutes between one activity and the next. With plain definitions and real examples, you'll leave with small, doable adjustments for classrooms and homes. The changes are usually minor and once you start seeing them, you'll find them everywhere.
The Science of Connection
Thursday, Dec. 10, 4:30–6pm (virtual)
Why is it so much easier to hold an assumption about a group than about someone you actually know? Our brains sort people into categories quickly and quietly, often before we notice. This session looks at how that sorting happens and why relationships are one of the most reliable ways to interrupt it. We'll get into what research says about connection, contact and curiosity, using simple definitions and real-life examples. We'll also talk about why proximity alone doesn't do it. Sitting in the same building isn't the same as knowing someone. You'll leave with a clearer sense of how snap judgments form and practical ways to build the relationships that change them.
Technology, Kids & Bias
Thursday, Jan 28, 8:30–10am
Blake Campus in Hopkins
Kids can reach almost anything online long before their brains are ready to make sense of it. We'll start with that gap. What can developing minds actually process, and how do adults stay in the conversation instead of shutting it down? Then we'll turn to the tools. Search results, algorithms and feeds aren't neutral. People build them and people train them. Over time they shape what we see, and what we see shapes what we believe. You'll leave with practical approaches for supporting young people and better questions to ask about what's already on the screens in your house.
Women & Work
Wednesday, March 31, 4:30pm (virtual)
A century ago, most women's work wasn't counted as work at all. But women have always worked. The real question has always been which work got paid, which got counted and which just got expected. We'll trace the legal, cultural and economic shifts that brought women into the workplace, and the women who stayed home and kept everything running while it happened. Both are work but often only one comes with a paycheck. Then we'll get to what's still in the way. The glass ceiling gets headlines, but the broken rung, the motherhood penalty and the second shift may matter more.