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| Bridging Multiple Worlds
Bridging Multiple Worlds is an inspirational and crucial approach that both schools and youth programs can adopt to create an affirming environment that supports all young people to thrive.
At the foundation of Bridging Multiple Worlds is a set of strong core competencies that all youth need to thrive and lead in a diverse society, and that all schools and youth programs can contribute toward helping students achieve. How this takes shape –through activities, curriculum and relationship building--will differ from program to program, but nurturing the Bridging Multiple World core competencies is always the goal.
The generation coming of age in the United States today is marked by unprecedented cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity. No one is more aware than young people that diversity is a reality. The media brings information and popular images into even the most isolated and segregated pockets of the country from all over the globe. In the halls of public schools, young people brush against peers from every continent and hundreds of cultures. More youth of this generation than any other are multi-racial, living in families that encompass two or often several different cultures.
There is great promise in a diverse society that authentically draws on the best of everyone and finally puts an end to the degradation and marginalization of some communities. But persistent racial and economic separation and injustice continue and institutions have far to go. Intergroup dynamics are more marked by ethnic and racial inequities, separation, fear, misunderstanding, disrespect and outright hostilities. For young people to negotiate their way in this diverse society, to thrive, to lead, they must learn to understand and appreciate their own cultures and those of others, to feel comfortable and respectful of people different from themselves, to feel empowered to act against injustice and exclusion, and to bridge national, racial, cultural and personal divides. For many young people, the ability to find common ground across racial and language lines has become a matter of survival in neighborhoods struggling with tense relationships between ethnic groups, as well as between immigrant newcomers and long-time residents.
The Bridging Multiple Worlds Core Competencies are crucial for all young people. For youth of color, immigrant youth and low-income youth, they contain a special urgency for counteracting the power of racism and social inequities on their development and potential. Like all young people, who they are and how they relate to the world is deeply shaped by the customs, traditions and experiences of their families and communities. They function in both their own cultures and languages and in the dominant mainstream English speaking society, learning the codes and ways of all. But as they pick up messages that their communities are lesser or invisible, it is not surprising that they often do not feel safe or open to learning and participating. The Bridging Multiple Worlds Core Competencies provide an alternative, positive foundation for young people to prepare for the great challenges of a diverse society and their future roles in life.
The Bridging Multiple Worlds Core Competencies:
- Strong sense of cultural identity
- Leadership skills to act for change
- Critical thinking skills
- Cross-cultural skills
- Bilingual skills
- Knowledge of history and social justice movements
- Understanding the community in which they live
Click here for a full description of the core competencies.
Bridging Multiple Worlds at Mandela High School: A Pilot Program
Become a Bridging Multiple Worlds Partner
Bridging Multiple Worlds can be adopted into any youth serving setting or school that seeks to create an affirming environment where youth are empowered, acknowledged for the skills and expertise they bring, and given a safe space to develop their understandings about the world and the roles they can play in it. The core competencies for thriving in a diverse society that students attain through Bridging Multiple Worlds are relevant to their lives, and help them to become successful members of their families and leaders in their communities.
California Tomorrow is looking for partners to bring Bridging Multiple Worlds to more young people in youth programs and schools. California Tomorrow will work with your school or program and its young people to determine your priorities and innovate the best ways to incorporate Bridging Multiple Worlds into current or new activities.
If you are interested in bringing Bridging Multiple Worlds to your site, please contact Jhumpa Bhattacharya.
To download a copy of our new publication please click here.
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