Nineteenth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

Border crossing is awakening educators to new cultural and religious realities in classrooms. With the new wave of refugees there is a great need to understand the “other” and create inclusive learning environments so children and families feel safe and secure in their adopted new lands. We, as professors of education and as practicing members of Jewish and Muslim religion within majority Christian communities in the United States, understand what it means to be the “other.” We bring 25 years of collaborative professional experience having trained educators to support children and families from different cultural and religious backgrounds in public schools. We listen to and collect vignettes and life stories and use them to sensitize educators to the challenges that children/families from minority cultures and religion face and how educators can become allies and positive role models. This workshop includes a series of anecdotes, vignettes, activities, and questions to help participants understand the perspectives of refugees and new border-crossers. More specifically, participants in the workshop will: 1) Examine vignettes about culturally diverse students/families within educational settings. 2) Actively participate in a Carousel Brainstorming activity to help deconstruct different religious practices and see similarities through use of common themes such as water and light. 3) Voice critical and constructive higher order thinking to promote understanding across diverse students/families.