Sagnicthe Salazar

&

Ariel Benavides

Sagnicthe Salazar is a first generation undocumented migrant Xicana from East Oakland by way of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He is a grassroots organizer and educator who has dedicated the last 18 years of his life to organizing for cultural, educational, worker and human rights of Raza communities and communities through out. He organizes with Xicana Moratorium Coalition developing young change agents and building with different communities through various coalition work. He has worked as the Dean of Restorative Discipline and School Culture at Castlemont High School and now currently serves as the Director of Restorative Discipline at Elmhurst United (formerly Elmhurst Community Prep) in East Oakland.

Ariel Benavides is a Black educator working to bring justice and joy into schools. She has worked at Elmhurst United (formerly Elmhurst Community Prep) as a Restorative Justice (RJ) Coordinator, training students in RJ, supporting adults and the larger school culture. Additionally, Ariel leads the Culture and Climate team at Elmhurst United, creating space for adults to harness their emotional intelligence so students can thrive. Ariel has trained educators around the San Francisco Bay Area on how to make restorative justice real, accessible, and sustainable in schools at all levels. She also serves as a Camp Director for the innovation Summer camp, Galileo, where she develops her staff to become strong, thoughtful educators that help to usher in the next generation of changemakers.