Center for Racial Justice in Education offers trainings, consultation, and in-depth partnerships to educators, schools, and educational organizations who want to advance racial justice. Because children don’t only learn in one place, Center for Racial Justice in Education works with PreK-12 educators of all kinds—from classroom teachers and principals to teaching artists and parents.

Center for Racial Justice in Education trainings provide educators with a framework to understand the context, history, and manifestations of racism, as well as tools to build an anti-racist practice. We work with educators to identify, examine, and disrupt systems that perpetuate racism—often in their very own institutions

 

Talking About Race

In this flagship training, educators strengthen their analysis of how racism manifests in schools and classrooms, enhance their understanding of how racism affects children, practice utilizing tools to address race and racism with students, and gain strategies to support a school-wide culture of respect, equity, and inclusivity. By the end of the training, participants will deepen their knowledge of the history and definition of race and racism, enhance their understanding of the how race and racism manifests in classrooms, schools and the lived experiences of students, practice applying a racial equity lens to scenarios related to race and racism in the classroom, and gain strategies for creating racial equity in classrooms and schools.

Overview

  1. Introductions and Overview: We begin by introducing ourselves. We then review the goals and objectives of the training, establish community ground rules, and engage in an activity that opens up the conversation.
  2. Build a Racial Equity Lens: During this part of the training, participants explore the questions: “What is race?” and “What is racism?” We discuss the history of how race was constructed and talk about the ways it affects the education system and students’ lived experiences. Participants develop their ability to recognize racism’s many manifestations: institutional, interpersonal, and internalized.
  3. Applying Racial Equity Lens to Scenarios: Equipped with a racial justice analysis, participants then break up into small groups to practice applying this Racial Equity Lens to real-life and classroom-based scenarios. From there, we brainstorm strategies for disrupting racism in both the short- and long-term.
  4. Theory into Practice!: At the end of the training, we shift from talking about what we could do, to actually doing it. Using small- and large-group role plays, participants have an opportunity to step into the scenarios. Every participant has an opportunity to practice giving and receiving feedback.
  5. Closing

Talking About Race for Parents: Raising Children for Racial Justice 

This training provides all parents, guardians and caregivers with strategies to effectively address issues of race and racism with their children. Through interactive activities and dialogue, participants will learn how children see race, and gain skills for approaching age-appropriate conversations using a racial equity lens. They will also practice strategies to promote positive racial identity development in children, including addressing misconceptions about race and reversing unconscious racial bias. By the end of the training, participants will deepen their knowledge of the history and definition of race and racism, enhance their understanding of how race and racism affects their children, and how children see race, build skills for approaching age-appropriate conversations using a racial equity lens, and gain strategies to promote positive racial identity development in children

Overview

  1. Introductions and Overview: We begin the training by introducing ourselves. We then review the goals and objectives of the training, establish community ground rules, and engage in an interactive movement activity that opens up the conversation.
  2. Building a Racial Equity Lens: During this part of the training, participants explore the questions: “What is race?” and “What is racism?” We discuss the history of how race was constructed and talk about the ways it affects the education system and our children. Participants develop their ability to recognize racism’s many manifestations: institutional, interpersonal, and internalized.
  3. Applying Racial Equity Lens to Scenarios: Equipped with a racial justice analysis, participants then break into small groups to practice applying this Racial Equity Lens to scenarios. From there, we brainstorm strategies to promote positive racial identity development in children both in the short- and long-term.
  4. Theory into Practice!: At the end of the training, we shift from talking about what we could do, to actually doing it. Using small- and large-group role-plays, participants have an opportunity to step into the scenarios. Every participant has an opportunity to practice giving and receiving feedback.
  5. Closing: Before the training ends, we reflect on the entire experience and think about next steps for engaging with our children around Race and Racism. Center for Racial Justice in Education provides an extensive list of resources to support people as they move forward in this work with their children.


FOLLOW UP TRAININGS

(PREREQUISITE: TALKING ABOUT RACE Training)

Center for Racial Justice in Education offers follow-up training for educators and institutions who have participated in the prerequisite Talking about Race training to deepen their learning and practice, through exploring topics such as unconscious bias, racial identity development, and creating racially equitable institutions.   Please email info@centerracialjustice.org for more information:


Taking Action: Strategies and Scenario Role-Playing Practice

In this training participants, will reflect upon learning from previous training and will gain strategies to address issues of race and racism within educational institutions. Participants will spend time practicing addressing race and racism in their schools through role play. In this practice, participants will explore their own racial identity as it pertains to their pedagogy as educators and will debrief learnings with their school colleagues.


Talking Impact: Unconscious Bias and Microaggressions Training

In this training, participants explore the impact of unconscious bias on the academic and social-emotional development of students, gain tools to recognize and address their own racial biases, and learn how these biases affect their educational practice.


Partnerships

Is your school or organization ready to partner with CRJE for a longer-term commitment? If you’re ready to invest in creating a racially equitable community, click here to apply for our year-long program.

 

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