Welcome to the
Rainier Educators of
Color Network!
Event Info
7th Annual Rainier Educators of Color Equity Leadership Conference Theme: Who Are You Pouring Into? #RECN #WeHaveBeenSent #StandingInYourPurpose We are beyond moments — this is a movement. The 7th Annual Rainier Educators of Color Equity Leadership Conference is a transformative learning experience designed to move equity work from awareness to action. After years of building understanding around diversity, equity, and inclusion, this year’s conference centers on organizing, mobilizing, and embedding equity-driven practices into collective spaces to generate lasting and meaningful change. Participants will engage in collaborative learning, courageous conversations, and strategic planning focused on dismantling barriers, strengthening partnerships, and creating systems that truly serve all students, families, and communities. This conference calls educators to stand firmly in purpose, pour into one another, and lead equity work with unity, accountability, and action.
Christine Sampson-Clark
Presenter
Ms. Sampson-Clark is an exceptional union leader and dedicated special education teacher whose influence extends from the local to the national level. She exemplifies vision, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to public education, equity, and the success of all students, especially those with disabilities.
With over 35 years of experience, Ms. Sampson-Clark is a powerful advocate for individuals with exceptionalities. She advanced new business items at the NEA Representative Assembly to strengthen disability rights, lobbied on Capitol Hill for full IDEA funding, and played an active role in national efforts to reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
In her district, Ms. Sampson-Clark created a social-emotional learning program using community circles to build students confidence, empathy, and character. The program's success has inspired colleagues in both general and special education classrooms.
Her leadership has ensured greater inclusion and accessibility for individuals with exceptionalities across all areas of union and professional practice.
Kumar Rashad
Presenter
Bio and pic coming soon
Helena Donato-Sapp
Presenter
​Helena Donato-Sapp is a 16-year-old scholar, activist, keynote speaker, and poet who believes in the power of youth voice and uses her own in the work of equity and justice. She is an accomplished activist and educator internationally recognized for her work in Disability Justice. She has been the Poet Laureate of The National Institutes for Historically-Underserved Students since 2019. She was a Long Beach YPL Ambassador in 2023-2024, the Long Beach YPL in 2024-2025, an L.A. County YPL Ambassador in 2024-2025, and is currently the 2025-2026 Runner-Up for the Los Angeles County YPL and a 2025-2026 YPL Runner-Up for the Western Region of the United States. Find out more about Helena at https://www.helenalourdes.com.
