One of the keys to unlocking cultural competence is reading diverse books with characters and locations that represent a variety of cultures. In this activity, young people define and discuss the value of representation. They do an audit of a book collection to identify representation and gaps. As a goal, they seek to fill gaps in representation by adding books to the collection.
Draw a circle around yourself and consider the love you have inside. Then consider what happens when we share that love with the world. “The Circles All Around Us” challenges the reader to open themselves up to others and in doing so, make the world a better place.
Literature...
In “Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre`," Anika Aldamuy Denise tells the true story of the famed Latinx author and librarian Pura Belpre’. When Belpre` left Puerto Rico for New York in 1921, she brought her family stories with her, but she didn't find stories...
Looking around the room, we may see many skin colors and tones. These differences occur all over the world. In this lesson we use the terminology of race and ethnicity and look at data to identify the makeup of our community or state. Young people may take action to promote representation of the groups that are under-represented in the community.
The key to cultural competence is learning about cultures around the world. The book Children Like Me sparks curiosity about different cultures. Youth make a simple keychain to represent the different cultures they can learn about with the key that helps them open doors.
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Inspired by the real-life stories of author Bao Phi and illustrator Thi Bui, this beautifully crafted picture book tells the story of a simple event in the life of an immigrant family. Phi’s poetic tale invites the reader to join the boy and his father on a fishing trip. This semi-...
Ignite meaningful action that lights up the world through "Service Sparks" youth projects! Do you have a culturally diverse library? Use a spreadsheet to analyze and discuss the cultural representation of a library's collection. Look for gaps and make a proposal to grow the diversity of the books and challenge yourself and others to learn about people and the world from different perspectives.
The "Open Doors to Your Community" project is a virtual door that guides young people to the actual door of local resources so they can learn about their community, take action, and build connections and understanding of their roles in community.
We define culture and explore the cultural traits of individuals and the group collectively.
