b'Louis Riel School Division Creates Staff Affinity SpaceThis year, one of the main focuses of the LouisWHAT IS AN AFFINITY GROUP?Riel School Division (LRSD) was asking theTypically, an Affinity Space is a group of people who have a common interest or goal or acting question, How do we prioritize belonging?together for a specific purpose. In this instance, While many focused on how to prioritizethe affinity group LRSD created was for employees from equity seeking groups who are historically belonging in the classrooms and amongst theunderrepresented within the workforce of the students, on October 18, 2022, the division rolledschool system (Indigenous, Black and other racialized people, people with disabilities, people out Affinity Space meetings for its employees. from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community). People who chose to participate belonged to or identifiedUnder the leadership of the Diversity, Equity,with these groups. Inclusion & Anti-Racism Education Team, Affinity Space was created to reflect LRSDs commitmentWHAT DID THE AFFINITY GROUP DO?in creating opportunities for meaningful dialogueThe intent of the group was to support our work as around the barriers we must address and thea division in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, successful practices we are already engaged in.and anti-racism. It was an invitation for people One strategy that is often used in workplaces tofrom minoritized and marginalized groups from accomplish this is the use of Employee Resourceall employee groups in LRSD to come together Groups or Affinity Spaces for employees fromin a safe and confidential environment to share underrepresented groups. their experiences and provide feedback on how we, as an organization, might better respond to the needs of these groups. Typically, these groups tend to appear naturally within organizations out of a desire to create connections with those who might share similarities and understand identity. Structuring these groups allowed us to continue to be intentional in the work that we are doing as a division. Some discussions spoke to issues impacting their identities and has helped in the continued development of policy and practice.42'