Russian-Born Educator, Irina Dmitrenko, will speak about “Understanding Gender Diversity and Equality” at 9:45 a.m. on First Day (Sunday), November 24.
Norval Reece, Community Contributor
Posted Tue, Nov 12, 2024 at 3:40 pm ET|Updated Wed, Nov 13, 2024 at 9:26 am ET
Irina Dmitrenko, a member of Newtown Quaker Meeting and a public school teacher, will speak about Understanding Gender Diversity and Equality at the Newtown Quaker Meetinghouse, 219 Court Street, at 9:45 a.m. on First Day (Sunday), November 24. Following the presentation there will be worship in the manner of Friends at 11:00 a.m.
Irina became interested in Quakerism when considering a Friend’s School several years ago for her five-year-old child. She said, “I had an instant deep connection from the first Quaker meeting I attended. As I learned more about the religion through workshops and literature, and engaged with members of the Newtown Quaker Meeting community, I felt immensely fortunate to have finally found the home of worship that mirrored my personal beliefs.”
Irina says, “Now, as a parent of a nonbinary teen, “I feel led to build awareness and understanding around the meaning behind ‘gender diversity and equality’. Being raised in the former Soviet Union, I was never educated on topics of gender identity and gender expression. Not until my child questioned their own gender identity did I begin educating myself on this topic. And I can truly say that I have reached the time when my child taught me something I never knew due to the ignorance I experienced.”
Irina says her presentation will be focused on basic concepts of gender diversity, misconceptions that exist around this topic today and how “a few tweaks in our language can help to promote gender equality. While I can’t dive too deeply into the subject in 45 minutes, I am hoping to offer an understanding of the beautiful diversity that exists beyond the gender binary. “
Irina Dmitrenko has been a member of the Newtown Meeting House since 2017. She was born and raised in Russia and immigrated to the US in 2001. She has a B.A degree in World History with a minor in English and a M.A. in World History (Russia). She completed the Graduate-Level “Teacher of Students with Disabilities” Certification Program at Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ, and has a MA in the Graduate-Level “Teacher of English as a Second Language” Program at Teachers College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ. Her child currently attends a Quaker school in 7th grade.
Irina is also an Ultra-Marathoner, having run races over 30 miles long, compared to the usual 26.1 miles for a Marathon.