Home Curricula Professional Development Teen Stories as Mirrors and Windows: A Culturally Responsive Professional Development Series

Professional Development

Teen Stories as Mirrors and Windows: A Culturally Responsive Professional Development Series

Professional Development Series Based on real Stories by Teens


Our young people deserve to have learning spaces that center and liberate them, where they can be deeply engaged, develop empathy for all people, exercise their own voices, and succeed academically. Research tells us that culturally responsive education not only acknowledges students’ experiences but welcomes them as an integral part of learning communities, ultimately resulting in greater academic success.1

Through reading and discussing true stories written by Youth Communication’s teen writers, educators will be given mirrors (stories that reflect their own experiences) and windows (stories that provide insight into another’s experiences) through which they can better understand themselves and the youth with whom they work. Educators will examine their own identities, identify and interrogate and challenge oppressive practices, and focus on building community in their classrooms and school buildings that honor the experiences and strengths of their students. Developed by teachers and youth workers, this program will add to educators’ pool of resources and leave them reinvigorated, empowered, and equipped to build supportive, culturally responsive learning communities.  

Our team will collaborate with you to assess your school or organization’s objectives and current state of readiness. Together, we will build a personalized program that works to meet your specific needs.  

1 LeBlanc, Gess, et al. “Why Cultural Responsiveness Is Crucial for Teachers.” Who’s in My Classroom?: Building Developmentally and Culturally Responsive School Communities, Jossey-Bass, Hoboken, NJ, 2021, pp. 20–20. 

STEPS TOWARDS A MORE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE APPROACH

1. Schedule a call with Youth Communication to learn about the program.

2. Complete a needs assessment, including surveys and interviews.

3. Select sessions based on recommendations.

4. Sign a memorandum of understanding and schedule sessions.

Your culturally responsive-sustaining education (CRSE) journey will be highly customized based on what we learn during the needs analysis. Our program encompasses a wide range of sessions designed to support youth from diverse backgrounds, including young people of color, trans/nonbinary youth, homeless youth, disabled youth, youth with marginalized genders, and immigrant youth. We address critical aspects such as communicating high expectations, fostering conflict resolution skills, empowering youth through shared decision-making, confronting internalized racism, and cultivating compassion and community within programming.

As a member of the school equity team, Mirrors and Windows is exactly what we needed to guide us. I was engaged the entire session and left with great strategies to help my students.

— TEACHER

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