About the Project

“All students deserve a curriculum which mirrors their own experience back to them… But curriculum must also insist upon the fresh air of windows into the experience of others…” Emily Style, The National SEED Project. Harding Elementary students are diverse in every way: racially, ethnically, socio-economically, linguistically, have many different learning needs, and take part in 5 different special education programs. With so many different groups and needs, students have a deep desire and a real need to see themselves reflected at school. But how do we do that when the majority of the teachers are white? Or if they are the “only one” of their ethnic, racial, or socio-economic group? Or they are the “only one” who is differently abled in their class? Having diverse books in the classroom for students and teachers to easily access and the release time and resources from Responsive Classroom for teachers will create a significant change in our school-wide community. In the future, replacement copies of the classroom books will be a nominal cost but continue to reflect a very diverse student population. The teacher resources will create deep changes in teacher practice they can continue to use with any student population and no matter where they are teaching. It also creates a deeper sense of school culture that new teachers to our school will have an easier time absorbing and adapting to.