Establishing Culturally Responsive Environments | Ecosystem Element 2

Session Description: 

An early learning classroom does not exist in isolation of a larger sociocultural whole. To make learning experiences more relevant and to foster children’s critical capacity to share their lives and our world, an early learning environment must take into account children’s cultures, prior experiences, and frames of references. In culturally responsive and preserving classrooms, teachers create equity as they value and integrate children’s cultures, languages, history, abilities, interests, and identity, and engage authentically with all children, and their families and communities. This session will explore how to  support children to develop confidence and pride in their identity, to acknowledge and celebrate diversity, to recognize unfairness, and build skills to reject injustice.