Using Books to Engage Young Children in Talk about Race & Justice
October 22, 2020 | 8:30 pm
This online webinar is part of the Talking Kids & Race series hosted and facilitated by EmbraceRace.
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To raise inclusive, empathetic children who are able to think critically and compassionately about race and racial justice, the conversations have to start early.
Our guests Aija Simmons, Sara Rizik-Baer, and Savitha Moorthy describe Mirrors, Windows, and Glass Doors*, a community-focused effort from Tandem, Partners in Early Learning that uses children’s books as a departure point for expanding the capacity of families with children under 5 to engage in critical conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
MHCM is pleased to invite you to join EmbraceRace for this online conversation, in which guests will pull back the curtain on the project as it gets off the ground – the factors that led to its creation, how it continues to evolve, the questions the working group is actively grappling with, and what they hope to accomplish.
Registration is FREE. To register, CLICK HERE.
When you register, you’ll receive a link to the recording, the transcript, and relevant resources in the days following the live event.
About the Presenters
Savitha Moorthy is a fierce advocate for equity, especially in early childhood education. She is the Executive Director of Tandem, Partners in Early Learning — a job that offers her the opportunity and privilege to work with a diverse, talented team on the systemic challenges facing families with young children. Savitha’s work is shaped by her training as a teacher and researcher and by her experiences as an immigrant, woman of color, member of a multi-racial family, and the mother of a four-year-old son.
Sara Rizik-Baer believes in the power of children’s books to foster critical thinking and the life-long pursuit of knowledge. She currently serves as Director of Curriculum and Learning at Tandem, Partners in Early Learning, a Bay Area non-profit dedicated to closing the opportunity gap for young children through the power of meaningful early learning experiences. Sara’s holistic view of the urban education landscape is informed by the multiple roles she has assumed as a trainer, literacy coach, and bilingual teacher.
Aija Simmons is a passionate educator mom. She currently serves as Program Manager in the Department of Social and Emotional Learning in the Oakland Unified School District. Drawing from her experience as an educator and instructional coach, Aija supports leaders in creating the optimal conditions for adult professional learning that can lead to transformational learning spaces for students. Central to Aija’s work is an emphasis on equity, identity, critical literacy, and social-emotional awareness.