Description: Our program has existed since 1980 in the Amherst area. Our older brochures and websites might say that we are a multicultural, anti-bias, and social justice minded program. Given that we’ve heard these words used and abused so often to serve various agendas, we’re going to describe our mission without using them. Our interest is in creating a comfortable space where people are welcomed and valued without being reduced to food, clothing, music, etc. As important as these things are to cultures, we know that people are so much more. After all, we are people too and know there is more based on our own experiences. We want to plant the seeds of good critical thinking and conflict resolution skills in natural, kid friendly settings. We plant the seeds during discussion times and offer room to practice during the students’ activity choice times. For example, we have noticed that past students seem more open to difference during formal discussions than they practice out on the playground. The comments they let slip about who “throws like a girl” or what’s “so gay” offer us opportunities to ask “What do you mean?” or “Why is that an insult?” It’s not about pushing a “We don’t say that” propaganda but about finding our assumptions, questioning our assumptions, and considering some revisions that might improve our interactive experiences. So that’s us, attempting to make your little people more awesome one tag game at a time.
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