Social Equity & Innovation Sessions

March 3, 2021

A New Approach to Special Education, Kelvin Weathers

It's called special education, but where are the specialists? Where are the therapists? The spiritual advisors? Where are the people with specializations that can help identify students' specific obstacles and develop an academic success plan? This affects minority children, underserved populations significantly because of this problem in special education. This session will address social equity and innovation related to early learning settings and provide a therapeutic approach in early education on how unfair labeling of children affects their mental and social well-being.

Teaching Children Who Don't Look Like You, Leonard Richard Webb

Even before teachers get to know their students, they have already formed assumptions. This session will define and explore implicit bias and understand its role in working with diverse families. Attendees will leave understanding the role of structural and institutionalized racism and its impact on society's inequities, particularly in education.

March 5, 2021

Diverse Perspectives, Autumn Tomas

Recognition of diverse perspectives requires self-awareness, intellectual flexibility, and broad knowledge that enables the perception of the world through the eyes of others. This presentation will challenge your views on physical appearance, expand your thinking, and motivate change.

Elevating Equity, Inclusiveness, and Belongingness in Everyday Conversations and Interactions with Children, Families, and Communities, Ernestine Brown, PhD

This interactive workshop session will explore creative strategies for bringing an equity, inclusiveness, and belongingness (EIB) lens to our work with children, families, and communities. Key terms will be defined and examined. This session will provide real-life examples highlighting how a shared EIB vision strengthens infant/child, family, and community well-being. An authentic, intentional, and meaningful EIB lens can significantly influence the socioemotional and relational lives we experience.