At Rabbi Steven Foster ELC, we want to promote diversity as we honor the value of B’tzelem Elohim ( Image of G-d) by seeing the dignity, beauty and potential in ALL HUMAN BEINGS. When children see the various colors that make up humanity, that is when our conversations about race and diversity can begin. Let’s be the change! Let’s support children in exploring anti-bias and anti-racism through their play and help neural connections strengthen and focus on empathy, compassion and kindness!
The 4 goals of Anti-Bias Education are: Identity, Diversity, Justice and Activism.
Identity- This goal means supporting children to feel strong and proud of who they are without needing to feel superior to anyone else. It means children learn accurate, respectful language to describe who they and others are. Teachers support children to develop and be comfortable within their home culture and within the school culture. Goal 1 is the starting place for all children, in all settings. Adding to ECE’s long term commitment to nurturing each child’s individual, personal identity, anti-bias education emphasizes the importance of nurturing children’s social, or group, identities. Social identities relate to significant group categorizations of the society in which children grow up and live in and which they share with many others. Social identities include but are not limited to gender, racial, ethnic, cultural, religious and economic class groups. A strong sense of both individual and group identities is the foundation for the three other anti-bias core goals: Diversity, Justice and Activism.
-From Anti-Bias Education for Young children & Ourselves