Building Global Awareness in Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Programs

Abstract

Many early learning settings are more culturally diverse than ever before. Due to widespread migration, early learning classrooms now include students from a rich variety of racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. One classroom may contain students from a dozen countries and even more cultural experiences. To produce conscientious and creative global citizens, early years teachers must be prepared to effectively educate and care for students from a variety of backgrounds. To do so, the teachers themselves must be informed about global issues, such as human rights, social justice, environmental protection, and war and conflict. Teachers must be aware of stereotyping and bias, which can perpetuate inequalities and deny a child the equal opportunities to which he or she is entitled. By identifying and addressing children's diverse cultural, racial, and ethnic perspectives, we can create spaces where every child has room to grow, learn, and develop to their full potential.