Before Racism

BEFORE RACISM HELPS CHILDREN AGES 1-5 EMBRACE DIFFERENCES AND PREVENTS DEVELOPMENT OF RACIAL BIAS

PROVIDE HIGH-QUALITY FACILITATOR/COACHES (TRAINERS) TO DELIVER THE BEFORE RACISM PROGRAM AT FIVE PILOT SITES AND DEMONSTRATE IMPACT ON THE PILOT SITE'S STAFF AND TEACHING PRACTICES IN THE AREAS OF: (A) STAFF UNDERSTANDING OF HOW BIAS AND RACE BIAS DEVELOP IN VERY YOUNG CHILDREN, (B) STAFF UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO HELP PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIAS AND RACE BIAS IN VERY YOUNG CHILDREN, AND (C) STAFF UNDERSTANDING THEIR OWN BIASES.ACCOMPLISHMENT: BEFORE RACISM SECURED FIVE PILOT SITES DURING 2022 - A COMBINATION OF DAYCARE CENTERS AND PRESCHOOLS. THREE SITES COMPLETED THE PROGRAM AND TWO OTHERS HAVE BEGUN THE PILOTING PROCESS.THE DIRECTORS OF THE THREE COMPLETED PILOT SITES WERE INTERVIEWED BY WILDER RESEARCH. THE DIRECTORS WERE ASKED TO RATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BEFORE RACISM PROGRAM ALONG THE THREE DIMENSIONS LISTED IMMEDIATELY ABOVE ON A SCALE OF 1 - 10, WHERE 1 = NOT AT ALL EFFECTIVE AND 10 = VERY EFFECTIVE. RESULTS ARE PRESENTED BELOW.EFFECTIVENESS OF BEFORE RACISM CONTENT IN HELPING STAFF INCREASE THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW BIAS AND RACE BIAS DEVELOP IN VERY YOUNG CHILDREN. AVERAGE RATING SCORE: 8.EFFECTIVENESS OF BEFORE RACISM CONTENT IN HELPING STAFF UNDERSTAND HOW TO HELP PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIAS AND RACE BIAS IN VERY YOUNG CHILDREN. AVERAGE RATING SCORE: 7.EFFECTIVENESS OF BEFORE RACISM CONTENT IN HELPING STAFF UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN BIASES. AVERAGE RATING SCORE: 7.THE SITE DIRECTORS WERE ALSO ASKED (IN THE SAME INTERVIEW PROCESS AS DESCRIBED ABOVE) TO RATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FACILITATOR/COACHES IN DELIVERING THE BEFORE RACISM PROGRAM TO TEACHERS AT THEIR PILOT SITE (ON THE SAME 1 - 10 SCALE). AVERAGE RATING SCORE: 10.

ENSURE THE PROGRAM REPRESENTS BEST PRACTICES IN THE FIELD OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT.ACCOMPLISHMENT: THE BEFORE RACISM PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED BY SIX RED MARBLES, A NATIONALLY-RECOGNIZED INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN FIRM THAT PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING SERVICES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM: (1) CONTENT DEVELOPMENT, (2) LEARNING EXPERIENCE DESIGN, (3) CREATIVE INPUT, (4) PRODUCTION, (5) PROJECT MANAGEMENT, AND (6) TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION INPUT. FURTHER, ALL THE WORK PRODUCED BY SIX RED MARBLES WAS REVIEWED AND REVISED BY A RANGE OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS HIRED BY BEFORE RACISM - INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCED IN THE FIELD OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSESSMENT, AND MEDIA PRODUCTION FOCUSED ON YOUNG CHILDREN. IN ADDITION, DOZENS OF RESEARCH STUDIES AND PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS WERE REVIEWED AS PART OF THE PROGRAM'S DEVELOPMENT.

IMPLEMENT A COMPLETE RANGE OF HIGH-QUALITY PROGRAM EVALUATION ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE BEFORE RACISM PROGRAM.ACCOMPLISHMENT: BEFORE RACISM HAS HIRED WILDER RESEARCH, THE RESEARCH ARM OF THE WILDER FOUNDATION, TO CONDUCT THE PROGRAM EVALUATION WORK. INTERVIEWS WITH PILOT SITE DIRECTORS INCLUDED OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS FOCUSED ON THE PROGRAM'S CONTENT AND DELIVERY, WITH A FOCUS ON WHAT WORKED IN THE PROGRAM, WHAT DIDN'T WORK IN THE PROGRAM, AND HOW THE PROGRAM COULD BE IMPROVED. QUESTIONS ALSO FOCUSED ON THE IMPACT OF THE BEFORE RACISM PROGRAM ON THE TEACHERS IN THESE SETTINGS, THEIR TEACHING PRACTICES, THE OVERALL CULTURE OF THE SITE, AND THE IMPACT ON THE CHILDREN IN THE TEACHERS' CLASSROOMS. THESE FINDINGS HAVE BEEN REVIEWED, ANALYZED AND DOCUMENTED BY WILDER RESEARCH.ALL SIX FACILITATOR/COACHES RECORDED THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES AND NOTES REGARDING THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH THE PILOT SITES. THESE NOTES ARE STORED AND AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY AND WILL BE USED IN THE REFINEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE PROGRAM MOVING FORWARD.