NEW PALTZ — The State University of New York at New Paltz will host the eighth annual Multicultural Conference titled “Keeping Multicultural Education Alive, in Spite of Everything,” from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Nov. 8, in the Student Union Building.
This annual conference brings together educators, students, parents and community members to gather fresh insights and to make connections with others who are working to promote appreciation of diversity in our schools.
Borrowing from the title of the keynote speaker Sonia Nieto’s new book, “What Keeps Multicultural Education Alive in Spite of Everything,” this conference provides an opportunity for participants to examine challenging issues and promising practices that help make equity a reality in our schools.
Nieto, professor of Language, Literacy and Culture at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, will describe a year-long project in which she engaged with a group of high school teachers to address what new teachers can learn from committed and excellent teachers of students with diverse backgrounds.
“We are fortunate to have Sonia Nieto with us at New Paltz,” said Nancy Schniedewind, professor of Humanistic/Multicultural Education at SUNY New Paltz, and a member of the conference committee. “She is a nationally known multicultural educator whose work provides educators and parents valuable insights and tools to make schools and communities equitable for all children.”
Some examples of this year’s workshop sessions include: Understanding the Dynamics of Diversity; Race, Culture and Multicultural Diversity in Books for Children; Teaching About Islam in Public Schools; Youth Against Racism Panel; and A History of African Americans from 1650 to the Present in the Mid-Hudson Valley.
The registration deadline for the conference is Oct. 31 and workshops will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information on specific workshops, call (845) 257 2885, or to register, contact (845) 257-3033.
