Miller Early Childhood Initiative is Launched in Southeast Region

Date: August 29, 2009

What is your earliest memory of awareness of people from a cultural group different from your own?  How old were you when you became aware of physical aspects of identity?

Did you know that by age 5, children have begun to build a group ethnic identity and are exploring the range of differences and similarities within and between "racial" and ethnic groups?

August 29, 2009 marked the official launch of the Miller Early Childhood Initiative in the Southeast Region.  Twenty-five educators from SALA Learning and Development Center in Decatur participated in a 7 hour workshop jam-packed with Sesame Workshop videos, poignant discussions, and bias-free activities.  SALA's mission is to reach the "whole" child, and believes that it is only fitting to address the present and future needs of their children in the areas of diversity; all of which are addressed through the Miller Early Childhood Initiative.

The goal of the Initiative is to help educators develop children's abilities to understand and respect differences in themselves and others, to recognize and acknowledge inclusion and exclusion, and to practice effective skills to play, live, work, and learn together. The workshop activities and resources also assist educators and family members in developing awareness of their own biases and ways they transfer those biases to children.

ADL was fortunate enough to receive gifts from the Aline & Leo Jacobsohn Foundation, Jack Miller, combined with a generous match from The Harvey L. Miller Family Foundation, that enabled ADL's Southeast Regional Office to implement The Miller Early Childhood Initiative in our region for this year.

If you are interested in learning more about the Miller Early Childhood Initiative workshops, please contact us.