The Indianapolis Public Schools Office of Multicultural Education will host its 24th Annual Conference on Infusion of History and Culture into the School Content on Oct. 20. The conference takes place at Crispus Attucks Medical Magnet High School, 1140 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St.
The theme is on Cultural Competency: No Longer An Option – Strategies and Approaches for Embedding Culturally Relevant Pedagogy into Content Areas.
Conference speakers include Dr. H. Richard Milner IV and Dr. Kaba Hiawatha Kamene. Milner IV is associate professor of education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University. He has published more than 70 journal articles and book chapters, and he has published five books.
Kamene is a teacher, consultant, administrator, staff developer and curriculum writer from the Bronx, N.Y. He is a professor of African/African-American Studies at the State University of New York in Paltz. He is principal facilitator and chief executive officer of “Per Ankh (House of Life),” an African-Centered Science Academy.
Concurrent workshops will feature interactive sessions facilitated by practitioners, who are experts in the fields of urban education, child advocacy, early childhood education, parent empowerment and cultural competence.
The conference will be followed by a Youth Summit on Oct. 21 where more than 200 youth in grades 7-12 are expected to attend. There is no admission charge for the Youth Summit.
“The conference and Youth Summit are designed with the village concept in mind and is relevant for educators, parents, students, community residents, university personnel, policymakers, labor unions, business representatives, churches and government officials,” said Pat Payne, conference director and director of the IPS Office of Multicultural Education. “In order to understand and address the problems of educational neglect and social injustice, we must stop playing the blame game and come together to discuss the challenges, confront the pitfalls, and develop strategies that respond to the unique needs of a diverse population of students and their families.”
Call (317) 226-2430 for more information.
