Orange County Student Mental Health

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Culturally-Responsive Practices

Source: Digital Promise

Resource Type: Website or Webpage Article

Audience(s): City or County Agency Staff, Community Member or Organization, Educators, Families, Health or Mental Health Professional, School Staff or Administrators, Students

Focus Population: BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or People of Color), Foster Youth, Immigrant or Refugee, LGBTQ, Youth in Military Families, Youth with Disabilities

Topics: Culturally Responsive Supports

Many districts struggle to implement culturally- and experientially-responsive practices; they strive to help teachers build stronger relationships with students and to implement discipline policies in a way that does not target students of color. Districts also struggle to help students be culturally responsive to each other, and to create a school environment that addresses inter-student cultural differences. Culturally-responsive practices involve recognizing and incorporating the assets and strengths all students bring into the classroom, and ensuring that learning experiences, from curriculum through assessment, are relevant to all students. Additionally, awareness of different backgrounds includes understanding and being trained to mitigate the effects of trauma they may face day-to-day.