Parent + Caregiver Programs
Parents and caregivers play a vital role in the development of safe school communities and are the most important influence in a child’s life outside of school. Caregivers play a key role in student success through the attitudes they help shape and the support they provide to students.
Harmony Movement’s workshops discuss the current challenges parents and caregivers are facing when creating safer school communities. Participants will learn more about equity and diversity in their school and work together to identify ways they can challenge discrimination and create thriving learning spaces for all members of the school community.
Harmony Movement customize all our programs in partnership with the school community to meet your needs. We have outlined some sample workshops below; however, we are happy to work with you to create custom programs on additional topics.
Recognizing + Unlearning Bias
In this workshop, participants will work with a Harmony Movement facilitator to identify, challenge and work towards unlearning biases they have. Participants will engage in activities and conversations that will support them in identifying preferences, biases and prejudiced ideas that they hold.
Learning goals:
- Understand the difference between bias, prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination
- Identify and unpack personal biases and reflect on how these biases impact our actions
- Engage in conversations to practice challenging your personal biases
How to be an Ally
In this workshop, we will explore the concept of allyship and how we can use the skills, resources and knowledge of the group to create positive social change in our school communities. Participants will think about their own categories of identity and consider their relationship to current social justice issues, and reflect on what kind of actions they can take to be in solidarity with oppressed and marginalized groups.
Learning goals:
- Understand the concepts of oppression, allyship and solidarity
- Reflect on how our personal identities influence and shape our perspectives
- Expand understanding of the different and connected ways power operates in our society and how we can work together as a community to increase inclusion
Words Matter: Addressing Harmful and Discriminatory Language
This 1.5-hour interactive workshop is designed to foster shared understanding and strengthen the role of families in creating more inclusive school communities, including meaningful discussions and scenario-based practice focused on how to intervene when witnessing harmful language.
Learning goals:
- Examine and understand how children are exposed to harmful and discriminatory language
- Reflect on the impact of discriminatory language on your child and the wider school community
- Practice how to respond to discriminatory language in a range of settings
- Develop an action plan outlining the steps needed for our school community to enhance overall inclusivity
