Empowering Authenticity, Enriching Education, and Championing Diversity

In today’s ever-evolving world, the undeniable significance of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) in education has never been more pronounced. Language teachers, who are native speakers and stand at the crossroads of language and culture, hold a unique position to drive DEIJ initiatives. This article explores the inspiring journey of language educators who embarked on a transformative DEIJ training experience recently at the Browne Center, revealing how it has enriched their teaching, empowered them, and emboldened them to be their authentic selves.

One World Language School seeks to educate children to the level of fluency and to provide them with the cultural tools to travel comfortably between their native language and culture and that of their target language and culture. Their programs encourage individual growth in world language proficiency while promoting cultural appreciation among the people of the region and of the world. As native-language speakers, they sometimes have to overcome socio-cultural inhibitions in order to fully embrace their authentic selves in the classroom. Recently One World’s teachers, staff, and board members gathered at the Browne Center for a workshop. The goals were multifold and began with understanding the challenges faced within the society at large, finding common understanding through vulnerability, and ended with creating allyship to support each other when issues arise. Teachers also learned to better support their students who might be facing challenges, as well as to create an inclusive classroom experience.

As one teacher said: “I really valued the trust that has developed among all of us I was able to understand not only how our shared experiences help us support one another, but also how helping people stretch beyond their expectations can be so fulfilling. I learned a lot of different ways I can support my students through tough times or through things they don’t think they can do”.