Having the ability to navigate through any kind of diversity has never been more important. Currently, the United States is looking like a neglectful country. Unfortunately, the majority of our news reflects the lack of empathy the US is going through. That is why it is so significant to further our understanding of everyone, no matter their background. Here at First Steps, we believe in the five lenses of diversity. 

Our first lens is socioeconomic status. It's important to acknowledge how money affects a student's education. We want every child to have an equal opportunity to receive an education. Unfortunately, many children's education is impacted by the financial status of their families. For example, the more financially stable a family is, the more likely their child will be exposed to higher education and will have more opportunities to advance their education. 

Moving to our second lens, diverse abilities. Some students have the expectation that everyone will be similar. However, some students will be different with diverse abilities. Unfortunately, some of these students will face exclusion because they are different. For example, a video titled Including Samuel goes over the life of Samuel, a boy with a disability. In the video, it goes over how inclusion is critical for every child: “Inclusion is the best way for every child to learn” (2:48). Furthermore, every child should learn to include everyone, no matter the challenges they are facing. 

The next lens is gender and sexual orientation. This lens is often forgotten because people don't experience it. However, this blindness is a major problem. It’s important because children need to learn about why other children might express themselves differently. In addition, children who express themselves differently from the majority often face discrimination and other obstacles. 

Onwards comes the lens of Family Structure. Most children were raised believing that most families consist of a father, a mother, and their child or children. It’s saddening that children aren’t open to family diversity. A video on the site Anti-Bias Leaders ECE explores this topic. In the video, teachers talk about how talking with students helps: “We have to talk about things that are like every family is not the same” (20:33). Open discussions with children will help open their eyes to family structure. Furthermore, it will help learn to accept the differences in families.

Finally, the last lens would be Culture, Ethnicity, Language, and Religion. Most people believe they understand this lens. However, there is so much more for everyone to learn and explore in this lens. For example, understanding personal implicit biases will help with learning more about cultures that are unfamiliar. Furthermore, PBS SoCal elaborates on this idea by stating, “anti-bias education is most effective when it’s woven into everyday classroom experiences, rather than only taking place on special days” (PBS SoCal, n.d.). Moreover, the idea of acknowledging implicit biases will help children and educators further understand different cultures, Ethnicity, Language, and Religion. 

In the end, all these lenses are designed to help every student, no matter how different they are, to come together. The goal is to include every student and help them acknowledge that differences are normal and should be accepted. At the end of the day, we are all people who are seeking love, security, and pursuing happiness. 

References:

Habib, Dan. “Including Samuel 3 Minute Captioned Trailer.” YouTube, 27 Aug. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymU8M4gBQsU. 

LeeKeenan, Debbie, et al. “Reflecting on Anti-Bias Education in Action: The Early Years.” Anti-Bias Leaders in Early Childhood Education, 2021, www.antibiasleadersece.com/the-film-reflecting-on-anti-bias-education-in-action/ 

PBS SoCal. (n.d.). Five Anti-Bias Education Strategies for Early Childhood Classrooms. PBS SoCal Education. https://www.pbssocal.org/education/teachers/five-anti-bias-education-strategies-early-childhood-classrooms