Ravae Duhaney, the Director of Talent at Chicago Jesuit Academy and an accomplished leader of diversity work and adult facilitation, led five Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training sessions for the Learning Edge Board.
The board members were supplied with materials that provided historical context and relevant data, and were encouraged by Ravae to take part in discussions that pushed the participants’ thinking and cultivated action steps.
The goal of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Board formation is to develop an understanding of racism and how it is at play in the lives of Learning Edge students and their families, within the Learning Edge organizational community, and within the greater Austin and Chicago communities.

Learning Edge’s desire to become an Anti-Bias and Anti-Racist (ABAR) institution is an essential component of the organization’s mission “to contribute to the lives of Chicago-area students through free one-to-one tutoring and academic enrichment opportunities enhanced by caring, mentoring relationships.”
Through these sessions, board members gained additional tools to enhance their service as advocates who are committed to the work of disrupting and dismantling systemic racism.
The framework that Ravae teaches with is the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm, which is a model for teaching and learning in Jesuit education. This framework consists of five parts: context, experience, reflection, action, and evaluation. While Learning Edge is not a religious organization, this framework is beneficial in supporting individuals as they further integrate this work into their personal and professional lives.
Overall, these sessions have been highly impactful to the board, according to Learning Edge Executive Director, Kara Kalnitz. She hopes to expand this training to include the program’s volunteers.
The Learning Edge Board would like to formally express their gratitude to Ravae for leading the training. She continues to teach this training for other individuals and organizations seeking DEI training.
About Ravae Duhaney:
Ravae Duhaney attended the University of Maryland Baltimore County where she studied Dance and Elementary Education. After graduating in 2012, she served as a Teach for America corps member in Chicago and in 2014 received a Masters of Science in Early Childhood Education from Dominican University. She continued her career teaching young children in Chicago, Guatemala City and Shanghai for eight years. Ravae currently serves as the Director of Talent at Chicago Jesuit Academy where she formerly served in the roles of Development Associate,Teacher and Volunteer Coordinator. Her passion for justice led her to participate in the “Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED)” program during the 2020-2021 school year and later to become a facilitator of the program. She has led monthly Diversity, Equity and Inclusion discussions for the CJA volunteer community and co-organized the BIPOC Affinity Group.