DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
at CHP

the Initiative

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are at the core of our philosophy here at Cobble Hill Playschool. We know that the work starts here and now with young children, and we are honored to have the responsibility of shepherding your children on this journey. We strive to ensure that our students become adults who see the humanity in all people and who actively work to dismantle systems of oppression. On this page you will find our DEI mission statement, the ways in which we incorporate this work into every aspect of our school, resources for parents and children, and information on getting involved.

Our Mission

At Cobble Hill Playschool (CHP), we work everyday to build a community in which every person who comes through our doors feels safe, welcomed, and celebrated for who they are. That is why equity, diversity, and inclusion are among the pillars that hold up our community. At CHP we…

• Believe that as early childhood educators, we have an obligation to advance equity in every aspect of our work.  

• Aim to recognize and build upon the unique characteristics, cultural backgrounds, abilities, and experiences of each student and their families. 

• Recognize that a hallmark of early childhood education is explicit instruction in the areas of equity, diversity, racial identity and inclusion. 

• Understand that our students' families need to be partners with us in this instruction in order for our young students to internalize these beliefs. 

• Are committed to continually examining our policies and practices to ensure that every step we take is done with these practices in mind.

Our Practice

• Curriculum: Incorporating the tenants of diversity, equity, and inclusion into every aspect of our curriculum is paramount to our mission at CHP. In order to achieve this goal, we avoid stereotypical celebrations of different cultures and lifestyles and instead focus on the Social Justice Standards developed by Learning for Justice. These standards provide a natural rhythm for our year and expose our students to the ideas of identity, diversity, justice, and action throughout the year in different ways.

• Admissions: CHP accepts students on a first come, first served basis.  For many years, we believed that this policy was the most equitable and inclusive way of managing admissions.  We have committed to examining our admissions policy to ensure it truly accomplishes our goal of inclusivity.

• Staffing: Relationships between students and their teachers form the heart of our practice.  We strive to hire teachers who represent the diversity of Brooklyn, so that each child has the opportunity to learn with teachers who look like they do and teachers who do not.  We are committed to creating a workplace that supports each employee and celebrates who they are and what they bring to our school community.

• Professional Development: Each year we dedicate resources to making sure our staff is up to date on the most current research and development surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion topics. To that end, we offer several professional development opportunities related to DEI throughout the year.  Additionally, we are working to develop a standardized DEI professional development funnel that each new staff member will be required to complete within their first three years of employment.

• Community Involvement: At CHP we believe wholeheartedly in the importance of the connection between our classroom and the larger community. We know that when young children are exposed to people and families that look different than theirs, their own life experience becomes richer and more informed. Throughout the year, we offer many different opportunities for our families to get involved in the larger Brooklyn community to build these relationships.

Resources

Please scroll down for glossaries, book lists, and other resources designed to support our teachers, our families, and our community at large in doing this important work.

Get Involved

Email DEI@cobblehillplayschool.com with questions, suggestions, or to get more involved.

Glossary of terms

An important first step in this journey is ensuring that we are all working with a common language and vocabulary in order to have productive and open conversations surrounding racism and anti-racism. We invite you to spend some time exploring these terms and definitions.

resources for parents & children

Please click on the links below for a curated list of anti-racist books for children and grown-ups. Check back frequently as we continue to add resources to support this work at school and at home.