District workshop focuses on cultural integration

The Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning facilitated the interactive training day with Summit teachers, principals, counselors

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BY LORY POUNDER
summit daily news
Summit County, CO Colorado
April 30, 2008

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FARMER’S KORNER — The morning began in a strict, orderly fashion as teachers, principals and counselors received permission to enter the workshop at Summit High School.

As they quietly tackled the first assignment, a teacher walked around to correct their posture and work. Wednesday, the plan was to start the day like a Mexican classroom, said Myrna Ann Adkins, president and CEO of The Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning in Denver which conducts trainings throughout the country. The result was a bit of insight into what it would be like to be in a classroom in another culture.

“Creating Environments for Community Integration: Youth Voices” was the name of the workshop facilitated by The Spring Institute that about 30 staff members from throughout Summit School District attended. Funded by a couple grants from The Colorado Trust, the Bullying Prevention Initiative and Serving Immigrants and Refugee Families Initiative (SIRFI), it was designed to help staff create successful environments for cultural integration and turn cultural differences into assets.

“It’s really creating the climate we want in the schools, and by extension, hopefully creating the climate we want in Summit County,” said Adkins, while those in the room worked on their first interactive assignment.

The schools reflect the diversity of the county from people with different backgrounds to different socioeconomic status, and the diversity has grown quickly in the last 10 years and is continuing, she said.

“For teachers in the schools, it’s a big challenge,” Adkins said.

A higher level of cultural awareness will help them better meet students’ needs, she continued. The day was about “how we can provide really integrated classrooms where all the children can excel.”

The Spring Institute provided teachers and staff with skills, addressed challenges and included input from a student panel about the challenges they see.

Last year, from a group of high school students, district officials heard there is not enough crossover between cultures because English Language Acquisition (ELA) students and other students are often in different classrooms. The comments reaffirmed the need for more work around integration, said Julie McCluskie, climate and communications coordinator for the district.

Five areas the bullying prevention initiative in the district centers around are cultural competency, community partnership, youth development, integration for bullying and sustained climate change, she added.

“There’s so many different efforts in the district that this (the training workshop) really complements, strengthens, supports,” McCluskie said. “We’re hoping this is a spring board for future training, more on-going discussion.”

Lory Pounder can be reached at (970) 668-4628, or at lpounder@summitdaily.com.