Supporting Families Who Are Culturally, Linguistically, and Ability Diverse

This workshop will include an overview of evidence-based practices that participants can use within early childhood environments to ensure that families of young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse are engaged within thriving classroom communities. Foundational communication and collaboration skills and how to apply these skills to potential communication challenges will be presented and discussed.

Participants will actively participate throughout the presentation by designing their own family engagement plans, focusing on creating effective environments; establishing supportive relationships with the community; conducting culturally responsive home visits; creating and sustaining bidirectional communication; creating avenues for shared-decision making; and cultivating families as resources. The workshop will also include understanding your own cultural lens and how your lens influences communication with others.