Children internalize unspoken messages about race, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, and other social identifiers. If educators and caregivers do not discuss areas of difference, children will make their own assumptions about the weight those differences hold. It is up to us to engage our children in developmentally appropriate conversations in order for them to help us build a more just and equitable world. Check out this infographic from The Children’s Community School in Philadelphia, PA to learn more about the research behind this.

We’re so excited you asked! If you’d like to join the JEDI Committee, you are welcome to show up at our next meeting (check the calendar on your Veracross Portal) or get in touch with the JEDI team. If you’re interested in joining one of our Parent Association-run affinity groups please reach out to the PA JEDI team via your grade level representative. If you are a prospective family or are interested in speaking with our adult community members please reach out to Julia (jblount@echohorizon.org) or Liza (ldewitt@echohorizon.org) to learn more!

Too many to list here! On our community-only portals, you’ll find a constantly-evolving and ever-growing list of resources. However, if you’re looking for a place to start your own adult learning, here are a few of our favorite resources:

• The Racial Healing Handbook: Practical Activities to Help You Challenge Privilege, Confront Systemic Racism, and Engage in Collective Healing by Anneliese A. Singh

• I Can Hear You Whisper by Lydia Denworth

• Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad

• My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem

• GenderSpectrum.org

• Understood.org

Educator-Focused:

• Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves by Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards

• Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain by Zaretta Hammond

• Human Rights Campaign’s Welcoming Schools

• Learning for Justice

• Start Here, Start Now by Liz Kleinrock

• We Want To Do More Than Survive by Bettina L. Love

If you have a great resource you want to share with us, please reach out! We are always continuing our own learning!

Deaf with a capital letter D refers to people who identify as part of the Deaf community, of which a shared sign language, such as American Sign Language (ASL), is a prominent feature. When deaf is spelled with a lower-case letter, it refers to anyone who has a hearing difference. Although we don’t use ASL at Echo Horizon school, some of our students and families do identify as being part of the Deaf community.

At Echo Horizon, our JEDI Committee serves as a space for conversation and action across lines of difference. Our Faculty/Staff and PA-led parent affinity groups compliment this work by providing designated spaces for people who share a particular identity. 

Affinity groups can be focused on race, gender, sexual orientation, language, nationality, physical/mental ability, socio-economic class, family structure, religion, etc. Affinity groups can be a place for underrepresented people in a community to come together to feel less isolated and more connected. It can also be a space for overrepresented people to come together to confront their power and privilege and engage in critical dialogue. Affinity groups are intended to bring people together over a commonality. We all benefit from interactions with people who share common identities or experiences. When you are in the numerical minority of a community, these bonding interactions may only occur during an affinity group. Affinity groups are only “exclusive” in order to create a safe space for people who may not feel safe in the larger community because they are in the numerical minority. During affinity group meetings, people can share freely and without inhibition about their experiences. These groups make them feel more visible and more included in our community and in doing so, enhance our commitment to inclusivity.