Date: December 5, 2023

Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm

Cost: Free

CHCs– 1.5 Contact Hours

Location: JCC of Asheville (236 Charlotte St., Asheville 28801)

We will watch three short videos (roughly 10-minutes each) centering stories from BIPOC Buncombe County families. These stories highlight the impact of experiences they’ve had with early education. After each video, there will be a facilitated discussion about the families’ stories, and a chance for educators to identify their own questions and challenges addressing different races and cultures in the ECE classroom. Participants will also help the work group brainstorm how these videos can be utilized as a resource more widely in our community.

Project background: In the fall of 2022, a group of mostly Black and brown teachers and family members of young children came together to tell their own stories of how race and culture have shown up in their classrooms and the classrooms of their kids. They told stories of feeling welcome in some spaces and less welcome in others. They expressed real worry for three- and four-year-olds who were being asked to leave their schools, and discussed the national and state data that show black children are excluded way more than white children. After hearing each other’s stories, they realized how powerful stories like this can be, so they decided to capture stories like theirs on video to invite more early educators into the conversation. They developed three short videos, centered around true stories of local Buncombe County families and teachers. Each of these videos highlights 2 local stories and asks early educators who watch them to reflect on unconscious, implicit biases. They help viewers see how actions that seem minor to one person can have huge, lasting impacts on another. They also offer suggestions to be more inclusive and resources for further discussion and learning.