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| The Bridging Multiple Worlds Core Competencies:
Strong sense of cultural identity
Young people need knowledge, pride and self esteem about who they are and where they come from, hand-in-hand with the ability to reject racist and prejudicial messages from mainstream society about their ethnicities and cultures. This requires they be supported to fully develop the language and cultural skills to appreciate and contribute within their families and communities, and the skills to “unpack” and resist forces that degrade them or make them invisible.
Leadership skills to act for change
Young people need the tools, knowledge, and confidence to speak out and intervene against acts of injustice aimed at themselves or others. As the conditions that produce social disparities and inequities persist in their communities, youth of color, low-income youth and immigrant youth must learn not only about the roots of injustice, but ways to take action. With such leadership skills and motivation, they can develop into positive forces for their families, communities, and society, working with others to create change.
Critical thinking skills
Youth must develop critical thinking perspectives and analysis for looking at issues facing their communities and the world. In an interconnected global society, they need to be able to critique inequalities and understand the dynamics of power and privilege in relation to their own lives. Critical thinking gives young people an awareness of multiple perspectives and helps them analyze divergent views in current and historical events. It helps them recognize and name prejudice and stereotypes in their own behavior and in the behavior of others. Students who are critical thinkers apply those skills in the classroom and in their approach to learning and interacting in the world. Critical thinking allows youth to become fully engaged citizens in society.
Cross-cultural skills
Young people need to understand the concept of culture, and to be sensitive and adaptive to interacting with people from different ethnic/cultural backgrounds than their own. This involves learning how people’s perspectives and ways (including their own) are shaped by their lived experiences, as well as the social, political, and economic contexts in which they live. As young people develop awareness of and respect for similarities and differences between their own identity group and others, the next step is better communication. In neighborhoods struggling with tense intergroup relations, cross-cultural skills are fundamental and can help young people mediate conflicts when they arise.
Bilingual skills
Young people’s bilingual skills must be supported as a valuable asset to themselves and society. This is a core way to honor young people who already are bilingual for who they are and what they bring, and encourage monolingual English speakers to become bilingual. But in today’s climate, many young people are not getting the support they need to develop their home languages; more often they are made to feel that they must choose English and let go of the home language. Being bilingual enables students to communicate with and participate fully in their own families and communities, as well as in the mainstream dominant society. Mastery of two or more languages is a skill in high demand throughout the labor market—from high technology, to education, to healthcare to international political relations. It is one of the most crucial leadership tools for working to unite people to create positive change in the world.
Knowledge of history and social justice movements
Young people need truth and inspiration about the long history of social justice activism in this country and the world. They need to know about the conditions, people and movements that have brought communities together across differences. Immigrants and young people of color especially need to know about the leaders from their own communities who have stood up against injustices through the generations. They need models and lessons learned from the past and awareness of current struggles that directly connect to their own lives. Learning about global dynamics, key events and specific examples of leadership and activism through history can inspire youth about their own potential to make change in their communities and the world.
Understanding the community in which they live
Young people need to know how and why their communities have evolved over time. Over the past decades, many neighbhorhoods have undergone demographic and economic changes that impact human relationships as well as cultural and political dynamics. It is important that young people not only be aware of these changes, but understand their implications for their daily lives. Learning about the history and experiences of the different cultural groups among their neighbors can help contextualize the changes youth see taking place in their communities. |
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