Project Description:
Arkansas early childhood professionals all have one thing in common: the increased diversity in the children and families they serve. Partners for Inclusive Communities (Partners) has been addressing these training needs for early childhood practitioners since July 2003 through the Welcome the Children project. Funded by the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, this training fills a need within the early childhood community and fits within the Division of Child Care's Arkansas Early Childhood Professional Development System. Welcome the Children has been extended through June 2012.
The primary goal of Welcome the Children is to assist child care providers and educators through training and technical assistance to understand cultural issues, learn strategies to support Latino children, and make appropriate referrals for possible developmental delays for English Language Learners. Fulfillment of this goal will ensure that English-speaking adults providing care to children birth to age 12 have the knowledge and skills to provide nurturing experiences essential to helping young Latino children develop intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally.
Welcome the Children's two seven-hour core training sessions on Cultural Diversity with an emphasis on Latin American culture and Second Language Development and Working with Families in Early Childhood were the outcome of research-based training materials developed by Partners and they have been revised several times to fit the changing needs of the providers. The training is provided statewide and is free to Arkansas child care professionals. Over 1,000 professionals have been trained with most attending both modules. Additional modules developed include working with interpreters, using real objects in the classroom to represent various cultures, and addressing questions from children about skin color and diversity.
This year's focus will be on developing and delivering series training onsite to child care programs, which will facilitate a greater depth of understanding of cultural and language issues among child care and Pre-K staff.
Information on the project and our annual Celebrating Cultural Harmony Institute may be found at www.uams.edu/welcomethechildren.
Keyword(s):
cultural diversity, children, Spanish, training, language acquisition
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training, Developing & Disseminating Information
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention, Child Care-Related Activities, Other - Cultural Diversity
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Community Trainees / Short term trainees, Professionals and Para-Professionals
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
