Abstract
This paper considers a program focused on cultural-responsive teacher professional development to promote healthy learning environments for immigrant students. Healthy learning environments contribute to the wellbeing and development of Latinx immigrants facing many barriers to learn and perform well in the U.S. educational system. Latinx children from low-income families often attend the most poorly equipped urban schools in the most impoverished school districts. These schools lack resources to educate their increasingly diverse populations (Lee,2002). Economic constraints (Lopez & Velazco, 2011; Gormley et al., 2005); language barriers (Hakuta, Goto Butler, & Witt, 2000; Soltero, 2008); and acculturation (Vega, 1990; Bacalao & Smokowski, 2007; Skuza, 2007; Hernandez & Napierala, 2013) are among the factors that impact the educational outcomes of children of immigrants in the United States. This study discusses a program developed at the University of Minnesota focusing on family engagement and culturally-responsive teacher professional development to address children of Latino immigrants’ barriers and gaps in the U.S. educational system impacting their mental health and well being. The program uses an ecodevelopmental approach influencing the systems in which the Latinx students grow: their family and school. Whole Learners is a year-long teacher professional development program tailored to improving student engagement and academic outcomes. This training dives deep into equitable teaching practices for dismantling structural racism in the schools. The program shows promising outcomes in addressing teachers’ implicit bias in particular when working with immigrants and refugee students.
Presenters
Abigail GadeaWhole Learners Co-Developer & Deputy Director, Healthy Youth Development PRC, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Education and Learning Worlds of Differences
KEYWORDS
LATINX
