Research and AdvocacyThe focus of our research was how democracy is conceptualized in the early childhood classroom. We asked ourselves, "Where does democracy begin?" We set out to interview a number of people, from immigrant families to local politicians, to find out what democracy is and where it begins. Check out the text below to listen to the podcast we created with our research and learn more about what a democratic classroom looks like in action.
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PodcastClick here to listen to our podcast on democracy and education featuring senator Steve Fenberg and K. Rae Gilbert. Learn more about Steve Fenberg and Kimberly Gilbert on our resources page.
Click Here to Hear the Podcast "Telling Our Stories" |
StoriesClick on the files below to hear the opinions of Democracy and education from children and a local immigrant Paraguayan family.
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AdvocacyFeeling inspired? Advocating for children's rights is easy. Click on the links below to find out who your legislators are!
To find your Federal legislators click here. To find your State Legislators click here. |
Speak Up For Kids Day
If you are seeking a simple way to get involved in advocating for children we encourage you to attend Speak Up for Kids Day in Denver, CO. This once a year event, allows you to get together with other child rights advocates from across the state to learn about advocacy and policy issues regarding children in Colorado. You will also receive coaching and tips from professionals to learn how to effectively advocate and speak to legislators.. At the event you will have the opportunity to directly speak to your legislators about the issues most important to you. This is an amazing opportunity to learn more about the process of legislation and advocacy. If you want to make your voice heard and speak up for the children this is a great place to start.
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Democracy & Children's Rights
All children are born with inherent rights. As educators, we feel that children's rights should be a focal point when considering democracy in education. Children are competent individuals who deserve to have a voice when it comes to their education. We each explored the different ways that our student's voices were evident within our classrooms, curriculum, and communities. Teaching young children about democracy doesn't have to be complicated. Our group found ways to incorporate democratic ideals into child friendly and tangible projects and activities for children. Check out our projects below to discover creative ways to bring democracy into your classroom.
Democracy in Our Individual ClassroomsDemocracy through Stories: Research undertaken by an Early Preschool Classroom at Boulder Journey School Storytelling is a big interest in the classroom and seems like a fruitful platform for provoking children’s ideas, understandings and uncertainties around the topic of Democracy and Social Justice--at least as it pertains to their young lives In Marcy's classroom, she used social stories at meeting time as a vehicle for inspiring group processing and dialogue related to issues of a social nature. A group of familiar animal puppets (the furry town friends) bring dilemmas to the group in the form of a story and the children are asked for their ideas about how best to solve them. Questions to ask through the story: What should our rules together be? What is the balance that should exist between rights and responsibilities in a “fair” society? What is the balance we should be seeking between individual choice and group membership? What accommodations might we consider for those with individual differences? Exploring Democracy through Art Research undertaken by a Preschool classroom at Mile High Early Learning Maggie decided to explore the concept of democracy through various artistic mediums. She read books themed around social justice and democracy to her students and engaged in conversations about their identities, race, inclusion, and collaboration. She used art as a way for the students to express their identity and culture and open the door to race talks. Her students pondered the questions, how are we different, how are we the same, and do we all deserve to have the same rights? The students used painting, photography, piñata making, and stories to discuss and dissect democracy. Democracy during Tea Time Research undertaken by an Early Preschool classroom at Boulder Journey School When thinking about conflict Marie wondered, do children have the right to conflict? The answer is of course. Healthy conflict resolution is essential in Democracy. So how was I going to teach healthy conflict resolution skills to a group of three-year-olds? By introducing tea parties my children and I have been on a journey of learning to slow down and use our five senses to make sense of this world. Before a tea party begins, I have the children use their five senses to help them make an informed argument for why they want a cup of lemon tea first or a cup of apple spice tea first. They are practicing conflict resolution skill, and in doing so, they are learning to see the perspective of the other which at the end of the day is really what Democracy is. It is taking the time to empathize with the other. Democracy During Mealtimes Research undertaken by an Infant classroom at Boulder Journey School Grace explored the idea of democracy during mealtimes in an infant classroom. She considered the physical needs and abilities of each child, and how those needs could be met in a democratic way. She eliminated all physical aides from her classroom in order to let each infant move in a way that felt right to them. Honoring each child's needs and level of physical development proved to be both challenging but rewarding. This exploration brought to light how often we as adults fail to listen to the needs of the child, especially with infants. Children's Rights and Responsibilities Research undertaken by an Early Preschool classroom at Boulder Journey School Is it possible to teach young children the difference between rights and privilege? We think so. In Sarah's classroom children engaged in multiple discussions about their rights, responsibilities, and privilege. She used children literature to facilitate discussions on the differences between the two. The children worked collaboratively with one another to come up with a list of rights they believe all people are entitled too. Conflict Resolution in ECEPhotos From Our Classrooms |