Welcome to another episode of CTLN Latino News Opinion+ where we talk about major issues the Latinx and other underrepresented communities face in the state of Connecticut. 

This week we spoke with Ingrid Canady, Executive Director of the State Education Resource Center (SERC) on the organization’s services and how it supports local communities amid national tragedies, such as those regarding gun violence and racial discrimination. 

SERC is a quasi-public agency that serves the CT State Board of Education in ensuring educational equity and excellence across the state. The agency maintains the Special Education Resource Center and the SERC Library. 

Canady said the organization’s services have increased over the years and SERC currently supports and provides resources to children and families, a variety of organizations, and a total of 169 school districts across the state. 

The agency’s main goals going into 2023 include raising awareness of their services to Connecticut’s diverse communities and moving their headquarters to Waterbury, CT. 

“We’ll be located in what used to be…the Timexpo Museum. Now, it’s going to be hosting the SERC’s main offices, our professional development classrooms, and our library. So we’re very excited about that,” Canady said.  

In this month’s episode, Canady also spoke about statements the agency has published that address national tragedies, which continue to impact educational environments across the country.

“We wanted to provide support, services, and resources,” Canady said. “[Like] how can parents speak to their children about it, how can teachers find ways to talk about this in the classroom, because reality is reality and we cannot let our guard down but at the same time we want to make sure that we continue to live our lives, [maintain] safe environments so that we can be who we are.”

Resources mentioned in this video: 

• SERC’s Main Website: https://ctserc.org  
• SERC Library Catalog and Hours: https://ctserc.org/library 
• News and Statements: https://ctserc.org/news  
• Learn all about its services: https://ctserc.org/services 

Follow SERC Online:

• Instagram: @ctserc – https://www.instagram.com/ctserc/
• Facebook: @ctserc – https://www.facebook.com/CTSERC
• Twitter: @ctserc – https://twitter.com/ctserc