About the Campaign
Overview
During the 2020-2022 school years, our “Talking with Young Children about... Identity” campaign will help parents and educators identify challenges and embrace opportunities for talking with young children about race, class, family structure, religion, gender, and (dis)ability. During this campaign, parents and educators will learn to use various forms of media to spark conversation and shift their work towards equity, framed around those six elements of identity. Each interactive session will be led by facilitators for whom that aspect of identity is salient. Sessions will provide time for discussion, reflection, and ready-to-use classroom resources for building a justice-oriented community.
Partners
The following collaborators have supported the campaign with planning and/or funding support:
Teaching Tolerance
Department of Educational Studies, Swarthmore College
Office of Inclusive Excellence and Community Development at Swarthmore College
The Greater Philadelphia Diversity Collaborative
Swarthmore Friends Nursery School
Rose Tree Media School District
The Melting Pot Parent Group
Media Providence Friends School
Wallingford Swarthmore School District
The School in Rose Valley
Planners
The Talking with Children About Identity campaign would not be possible without the planning and support from the following individuals:
Coordinating Team:
Kelly Yiadom, Melting Pot Parent Group
Tyrone Johnson, Partners in School Innovation
Luca Poxon, Swarthmore College
Jen Bradley, Swarthmore College
Race/ethnicity
Tyrone Johnson (co-lead) Partners in School Innovation
Jennifer Kennedy, (co-lead) Wallingford Swarthmore School District (lead)
Elia Brooks-Simms, Wallingford Swarthmore School District
Liz Corson, Wallingford Swarthmore School District
Rod Stanton, The School in Rose Valley
Pendo Kamau, Haverford College
Stacey Joseph, ImpactEDI
Socioeconomic status/class
Stacey Joseph (co-lead) ImpactEDI
Elia Brooks-Simms (co-lead) Wallingford Swarthmore School District
Pendo Kamau, Haverford College
Kim Bernaus, Swarthmore Friends Nursery School
Sarah McKay, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Supported by coordinator: Luca Poxon, Swarthmore College
Religion
Rod Stanton (lead) The School in Rose Valley
Laura Taylor, Media Providence Friends School
Jennifer Kennedy, Wallingford Swarthmore School District
Jessica Burman, Psychologist
Mahnaz Maqbool, A Total Approach
Supported by coordinator: Kelly Yiadom, Melting Pot Parent Group
Sexual Orientation
Robin Matthews (lead)
Lisa Smulyan, Swarthmore College
Sharon Pennock, Disability Activist
Angela Di Maria, Media Providence Friends School
Van Nguyen
Supported by coordinator: Tyrone Johnson, Partners in School Innovation
Gender identity
Luca Poxon (co-lead) Swarthmore College
Robin Matthews (co-lead)
Liz Corson, Wallingford Swarthmore School District
Lisa Smulyan, Swarthmore College
Van Nguyen,
Natalia Saddi
Priya Dieterich, Landsdowne Friends School
Supported by coordinator: Luca Poxon, Swarthmore College
Disability
Sharon Pennock (lead) Disability Activist
Mahnaz Maqbool, A Total Approach
Natalia Saddi
Jessica Burman
Kim Bernaus, Swarthmore Friends Nursery School
Sarah McKay, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Supported by coordinator: Kelly Yiadom, Melting Pot Parent Group
Learn more about our funders...
Thank you to our Funders & Donors!
The project was made possible through a grant from Teaching Tolerance (now Learning for Justice), along with support from Media-Providence Friends School, and both the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Community Development, the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility, and the Office of the President at Swarthmore College.