Culture and Diversity
Cultural Diversity and Mental Health
Helping children and young people understand, respect and appreciate cultural differences helps create a sense of belonging. This resource from Australia examines why understanding culture is important, challenges that may impact children and families, and how respect for diversity is related to children's sense of belonging and mental health.
Harvest Festivals Around the World: Video
What is Harvest Festival? How do people celebrate harvest around the world? This video shows several different harvest festivals that are celebrated around the world throughout the year from Pongal to Vendimia, The Moon Festival to Olivagando. We share some of the many ways people celebrate harvest around the world.
Heartwarming Video Shows How Kids See Differences
A heartwarming video from the BBC, is showing how children think about differences. In the video, pairs of young friends answer the question, “What makes you two different from each other?” And their responses reveal a simple and inspiring truth about acceptance and inclusion among kids.
Nurturing Childhoods Through Indigenous Ways of Knowing: Register Now for this Free Online Course
In honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, registration is now open for Nurturing Childhoods Through Indigenous Ways of Knowing. This free, fully online course was co-created with the voices of our community members, educators, and scholars, and it is designed to empower and support educators, service providers, and families to engage deeply with Indigenous knowledge in early learning environments. Through six learning circles, participants will explore topics such as Indigenous knowledges, perspectives, pedagogies, children as a gift, family and community, land as the first teacher, and Indigenous languages and literacies. This offering seeks to honour the important role that Indigenous ways of knowing play in shaping early childhood education.
Cultural Diversity and Mental Health
Helping children and young people understand, respect and appreciate cultural differences helps create a sense of belonging. This resource from Australia examines why understanding culture is important, challenges that may impact children and families, and how respect for diversity is related to children’s sense of belonging and mental health.
Cultural Atlas
The Cultural Atlas is an educational resource providing comprehensive information on the cultural background of migrant populations. It was developed in Australia, but the content is very relevant and useful for us here in Canada as well!
What is Culturally Responsive ECE Practice?
What is cultural responsiveness? Rather than just focusing on the celebration of differences and the harmonious co-existence of diverse groups, culturally responsive interactions and programming in early childhood education involve caregivers' deep engagement with diverse cultures and worldviews in order to transform practice.
Immigration Initiative at Harvard
The Immigration Initiative at Harvard is an online space for scholars, students, policy makers, community leaders, and practitioners, with the goal of translating evidence-based research into promising practices. Be sure to check out their series of resources for educators.
Singing My Story: Building Capacity with Newcomer Youth Through Songwriting, Recording, and Creative Arts-based Pedagogies
CYRRC research suggests that art and music are integral in helping newcomer and refugee youth reclaim their stories and share their lived experiences. This study by York University and COSTI Immigrant Services explored the role music played in culture, integration, wellbeing, and creative expression for newcomer and refugee youth by involving youth in the co-composition and professional recording of original songs.
Principles for Culturally Responsive Teaching in Early Childhood Education
There can be no recipe or script for culturally responsive teaching because every group of families and children has differing backgrounds and unique needs, capabilities, and interests. Early childhood educators need to know about this diversity in order to adapt their practice to suit the cultural practices, beliefs, and values of the child and their family, and to support all children to participate fully while maintaining their cultural identities. This guide offers some general, research-based principles and suggestions to empower ECEs, in concert with families, to discover different ways of dealing with issues of diversity.