Reading has long been recognized as a crucial milestone in a child's development, with emphasis placed on the benefits of caregivers reading to very young children.  Children who are exposed to a great range of literature are more likely to have higher vocabularies in their native languages, and tend to view reading as a positive past-time.

What role does diversity play in that enrichment? Literature has an impact on a child's view of the world and of themselves, and the characters and voices featured become part of child's narratives of belonging, acceptance, and affirmation.

This pre-recorded webinar will discuss the role and importance of diversity in children's literature. This educational experience is perfect for parents, educators, librarians, and anyone who works with children ranging from pre-school aged through elementary school aged children.

This educational experience contains approximately two hours of video content, which participants may complete independently at their own pace, and also contains additional resources. Each module takes between 20-30 minutes to complete, and in order to move to the next module, you’ll be asked to respond to a few questions in a journal format.  

Participants will:

Identify why it matters that children’s literature be diverse

Articulate some of the core principles of multiculturalism in children’s literature

Gain access to resources that will help guide your own use of these books moving forward 

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*Any and all journal submissions may be used in marketing pieces to advertise the training, or in reports about the training, unless you choose to opt out during registration. If you want to allow us to utilize your journal submissions, but wish to remain anonymous, please provide your consent in your registration, and note your wish to remain anonymous in each of your journal entry submissions.*

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The first workshop, entitled "Talking About Identity and Race" is Lesson 1 of our Racism in the United States curriculum, which will be available to purchase and download for home use in mid-September 2020, and presented live once a month starting the weekend of September 12/13, 2020.  The "Talking About Identity and Race" workshop will introduce youth to some of the core ideas of fairness and equality, and will introduce children to the consequences of unfairness and injustice here in the USA. Participants will hear stories, interact with other participants and their families, and receive access to additional resources to continue to explore this topic at home. 

Participants in this FREE one-day workshop will also gain advance access to register for the following monthly workshops.  All workshops are 100% virtual and take place in our private Zoom classroom.  A materials list will be provided to all registered participants.  If you need any help with access please email alison@borderlandrainbow.org. 

We believe that all children and families should be able to access this information with as few barriers as possible, and we will work with you to decrease those barriers.

We are offering 3 different workshops for different age groups. You can register for the appropriate age group below. Registration for this workshop is done through Zoom.

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Facilitated by: Chrissy Beltran and Melissa Torres

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Chrissy Beltran is a resource creator and consultant for instructional coaches and elementary teachers in the area of literacy. With over 16 years of educational experience, Chrissy has worked with students and teachers in grades preK-8, serving them through downloadable tools, online courses, and in-person workshops. Her podcast, Buzzing with Ms. B: The Coaching Podcast shares strategies and ideas with instructional coaches who are working towards growing their schools.

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Melissa Torres was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. She attended the University of Texas at El Paso and obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Elementary Education Specializing in Physical Science. She was an elementary school teacher for 7 years in the Ysleta School District where she was also a trainer of teachers in Write From the Beginning. She sat on her school’s intervention committee for 2 years and was also a mentor teacher to student teachers in UTEP’s education college.  

She credits her teaching experience with making her a better mother to her 3 sons and even though she no longer works as a classroom teacher she could not stay too far from public schools. She is a volunteer at her sons’ elementary school, where she helps bring presenters to enrich the lives of the students social and emotional needs. Her substitute work also helps keep her on her toes and she has recently begun teaching Chinese students how to speak English. Life is busy but never too busy to help educate children! 

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Knitting can be a meditative and mindful practice when the practitioner is given the tools to understand it in this framework.  Join Institute Fellows Brenda Risch, PhD, LMSW and Alison Westermann, instructors with over 50 years' combined experience, for a knitting workshop that combines practical skills with neurobiological evidence of knitting's ability to help individuals self-regulate and calm their nervous system.  This workshop is for individuals with little-to-no experience knitting, as well as advanced knitters who would like to learn more about the science of knitting as a self-care tool.  This workshop is appropriate for community members and social work/mental health/counseling professionals who want to integrate a creative self-care tool into their personal lives or their practice.

Two (2) CEUs available!

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CEU Clause: The Borderland Rainbow Center under sponsor number 7798 has been approved by the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners to offer continuing education contact hours to social workers. The approved status of The Borderland Rainbow Center, Continuing Education Service expires annually on July 31.  If you hold a license in another State or discipline, it is not guaranteed that our content will meet your requirements.  We recommend that you check with your licensing body for any requirements and allowances.

Participants will: 

• be able to describe three benefits of knitting for self-care 

• be able to describe two scientifically verified health benefits of knitting

•  be able to identify two benefits of knitting for specifically for brain health

• be able to describe two examples of knitting as a community-based intervention

• be able to name client symptoms and diagnoses for which knitting could be an appropriate adjunct to therapy

• be able to correctly define terms like knit, perl, stitch, cast on, garter, stockinette, gauge, swatch, and other knitting terminology related to reading yarn labels and patterns

• be able to cast on in one or two different styles (long tail, provisional, etc)

• know where to turn for help on knitting questions (YouTube, LionBrand.com, etc)

• feel comfortable enough with knitting to be able to teach it to others at a basic level

$10 for General Public

$20 for 2 CEUs

MORE WEBINAR CONTENT COMING SOON

Education and training designed to inform and empower.