Public Policy Clinic Events

Public Policy Clinic Events

  • On April 14, 2016 Karly Walton, 2L and Vanessa Walsh, 3L, presented at the inaugural “Restoring our Communities” conference in St. George, Utah.  The presentation introduced the school to prison pipeline, provided an overview of the clinic’s involvement and presented an in-depth look at disparities in school disciplinary actions between American Indian students, white students and other students of color.  The conference was hosting by Restoring Ancestral Winds.   Vanessa and Karly were joined by Brad Anderson, Kevin McLean, Travis Anderson and clinic director, Lincoln Nehring.
  • On January 26, 2016, Vanessa Walsh, 3L, addressed the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council at the Ute Tribal Complex in Towaoc, Colorado. Walsh addressed disparities in school disciplinary actions for American Indian students in the San Juan school district, Utah and nationally.  In addition to her presentation, Walsh answered questions from the Council. Walsh was preceded by Colorado state senator Suzanne Williams.
  • On January 14, 2016, students from the Public Policy Clinic (PPC), Vanessa Walsh, Brad Anderson and Kevin McLean presented at the 22nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration held at Utah Valley University, in Orem Utah.  The purpose of the event was to bring together a wide spectrum of campus and community voices to discuss and remember the legacy of Dr. King.  The presentation was entitled “The School to Prison Pipeline in Utah: Understanding the Story” and focused on the school to prison pipeline generally, with a discussion on the discipline disparities and possible solutions.
  • On October 10, 2015, students from the Public Policy Clinic (PPC), Vanessa Walsh, Ryan Nielsen, Travis Walker and Anikka Hoedal presented at the 5th Annual “Expect the Great College & Career Conference and Expo” held at Weber State University, in Ogden Utah.  The conference was designed for African, African American, Black high school and college students, their families, and communities with the purpose of providing information, resources, and support to prepare for post-secondary education and careers.  Attendees included  high school students, college students, school counselors and educators.  The Clinic provided conference attendees with information  about the School to Prison Pipeline, presented data on school disciplinary action in Utah’s public schools, and suggested solutions educators and school administrators could implement to curb the issue.   The presentation was followed by a roundtable discussion discussing the disparity in school actions and identifying “winnable “solutions to address school discipline disparities.
  • On June 10, 2015, students from the Public Policy Clinic (PPC), Amy Martz and Andrea Kalvesmaki, presented for the Utah States Office of Education (USOE) Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Summer Conference, in Heber, Utah. The presentation covered data in the report Fingerpaint to Fingerprints and covered how biases in disciplinary practices contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline (STPP). The PPC’s goal was to engage counselors, teachers, and administrators who attended the event in understanding the data drivers, actions they can take to reduce disparities, and alternative best practices to zero-tolerance approaches in school discipline.
  • On April 7, 2015, clinic members Stephanie Pitcher, Amy Martz, Amy Shewan and Vanessa Walsh, traveled to Montezuma Creek, Utah to host a community meeting.  The goal was to listen to concerns of the Navajo community regarding school disciplinary actions. The meeting was held at the Aneth Chapter house and was attended by school officials, principals, teachers and American Indian community members.  Clinic members gained important insights into the community and the challenges they face.  The clinic also met with Doug Wright, superintendent of the San Juan school district.
  • On March 27, 2015, Vanessa Walsh `16, a student in the public policy clinic, presented information on school disciplinary data for American Indian students at the STPP in Indian Country symposium held at the Sandra Day O’Conner Law School at Arizona State University. The one-day event brought together individuals to discuss pipeline concerns, experts who have developed successful programs and projects across the country to address pipeline issues and individuals and organizations from diverse backgrounds who are working toward solutions to this issue.
    Walsh spoke about the disproportionate impact of these actions on the American Indian community in Utah.  The symposium and town hall is co-sponsored by the ABA Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice, ABA Council for Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Educational Pipeline, ABA Criminal Justice Section, the Center for Indian Education at Arizona State University and the National Congress of American Indians.
  • On February 7, 2015, students from the Public Policy Clinic (PPC), Jeffrey Mathis and Nubia Pena, presented at the 11th Annual Conference on Social Awareness (COSA) on the School-to-Prison Pipeline’s disproportionate impact on youth of color and children with disabilities. It was well attended by students and faculty from the University of Utah who were interested in becoming involved in addressing this issue through social media activism.
  • On January 24, 2015, students from the Public Policy Clinic (PPC), Vanessa Walsh, Nubia Pena, Steven Nielsen, participated in the ACLU’s Youth Leadership Conference by presenting on the School-to Prison Pipeline (STPP) and facilitating a “Know Your Rights” workshop. The PPC’s goal was to encourage students to become actively engaged in addressing the STPP within their community and empower youth to be agent’s of change within their schools.