This course is the first in a series called, Building Belonging Through Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education. Belonging is defined as “experiencing appreciation, validation, acceptance, and fair treatment within an environment. When people feel that they belong, they aren’t distracted and worried about being treated as a stereotype or a singular part of their multidimensional personhood (Cobb & Krownapple, 2019).” In classrooms and schools across the country, educators are seeking ways to create spaces of belonging for every learner. This is not an easy task and requires consistent willingness and learning to embed practices that make belonging a reality. As humans, we may base our worldview on our own specific experience and may lack awareness of how others navigate their home, community, and school. This course offers practical ways to consider improving our educator awareness through the frame of equitable practices in schools and aligned to the culturally-relevant and sustaining educational competencies.

Includes access to free downloadable resources (from PDE’s Equitable Practices Hub):
➤ Infographic: Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in Pennsylvania
➤ Equity Practices Hub: Equity Pillars
➤ Culturally-Relevant and Sustaining Education (CR-SE) Program Framework Guidelines