Connecting Kids to Their Cultures and Communities

Early childhood programs and schools are part of a community. They imitate that community—its people, values, businesses, and resources. Connecting Kids to Their Cultures and CommunitiesThere are, of course, many ways for early childhood education programs to help unite the kids they serve with their cultures and communities. These include, providing a program that welcomes and includes everyone, taking kids into the community, and using community resources in the program. Everyone Should Feel Welcome and Part of Your Early Childhood Care CommunityPrograms can do a variety of things to make each kid and family feels welcome. These include using photographs and artwork all through the entire building that imitate each family, making sure every kid and family is reflected in program communication piece, and promising that educational materials—such as books in the parent lending library—provide something for everyone. This visibility in the program is mainly significant for people who are usually ignored, such as fathers and multiracial and broad-based families. A special bulletin board that addresses the father’s role and provides parenting tips for fathers works well. Programs that respond to families’ sole needs make people feel welcome. Take Kids into Their Communitiesas already discussed by teacher training course in Mumbai ; we should find lots and lots of ways for kids to discover the resources in the communities where they live. This can be attained through field trips, joining festivals and other community activities, and supporting specific events for kids and families in the community. Include People from the Community in the ProgramThere are many ways to comprise people from the community in the program. These include volunteers, parent requirements for participation in the school parent cooperatives and some personal programs, visiting speakers and presenters, and using workshop students from local colleges. There are many ways for  early childhood programs to connect kids with their communities and cultures. These must be active, deliberate, and ongoing activities. But, in doing so, we must realize that the families we serve come from a variety of cultural backgrounds, that cultures are continually changing, and that all kids experience overlapping cultures and communities. Thus we should carefully make sure that we never engross in any activity, or support any community cause, that omits or marginalizes any of our kids or their families. Far from reinforcing divisions and separation, we are in the business of making connections and building community