ADL’s A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute hosted over 40 pre-school and early childhood educators for the first day of its Bias-Free Foundations Conference on March 11. Educators and caregivers from all across Los Angeles County joined A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute Facilitators to gain resources and training materials from the Miller Early Childhood Initiative of ADL’s A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute. Materials from the Initiative were created in partnership between ADL and the Sesame Workshop®, creator of the world famous Sesame Street®. ADL A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute Facilitators provided attendees with materials, skills and strategies designed to promote understanding and respect for diversity at an age when the seeds of bias and prejudicial attitudes can begin to take root.
Conference attendees will now return to their pre-schools and early childhood education centers to use the provided activities and practice their new skills creating bias-free learning environments. They will return to ADL in two weeks for the second day of the conference to report back on their progress, share how implementation went, and gain further assistance in creating respectful learning environments where differences are affirmed. The second day will also focus on how to involve families in early childhood anti-bias education.
Here are just some of the comments from the Bias-Free Foundations Conference attendees following their first day:
“This training is awesome! This is so needed in the pre-school classroom! Many teachers can benefit from this training. I wish I could’ve brought my whole staff.”
“I am taking a deeper look at myself and how my actions affect others.”
“I plan to be more open to learning about other cultures and more sensitive to bias and prejudice in the world in general.”
“As a result of attending this conference, I am going to create more opportunities to get to know families in the school better and learn more about their cultures.”
Research has shown that about 85 percent of the brain develops between ages three and five, and impressions and ideas—including stereotypes and negative attitudes towards difference—formed between ages three and four, are long lasting. This research highlights the importance of anti-bias education for early childhood educators, caregivers and the children’s families.
“The messages that early childhood and pre-school educators send to young children will significantly impact how those young ones view those who are different from them later in life—be it race, religion, culture, ability or otherwise,” said Dave Reynolds, Project Director for ADL’s A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute in the Pacific Southwest Region. “This is why learning opportunities like the Bias-Free Foundations Conference are so crucial. They serve as valuable tools in the long fight against bias, bigotry and hate.”
The Bias-Free Foundation Conference was made possible by the generous support of First 5 LA with books donated to each center in attendance by the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation. It is estimated that those in attendance will take their newfound knowledge and skills to positively impact over 400 young children across Los Angeles County.
To schedule or sponsor an early childhood educator or parent/family training in the Pacific Southwest Region, contact Dave Reynolds at dreynolds@adl.org or (310) 446-4234. Continuing education units are available for educators, and all programs and resources for families are available in Spanish.