Diversity conference to focus on ‘Developing Cultural Responsiveness’
February 22, 2016
The 22nd annual Diversity Conference will be held on Tuesday, March 22 in the Sansbury Campus Life Center Ballroom at the University of South Carolina Upstate with a theme of “Developing Cultural Responsiveness.”
Sponsored by the USC Upstate School of Education, the Diversity Conference has served as a pre-service teacher collaborative bringing together students from various backgrounds and different campuses in South Carolina to discuss diverse issues and perspectives while learning from one another about cultural issues. The information participants receive during this conference will help prepare them to meet the needs of the children they will someday teach.
This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Charles Love, who served as dean of USC Upstate’s School of Education from 1999-2012. During his 30-plus year career, he held a variety of positions in public schools including roles in the classroom and administration. He was instrumental in developing programs at USC Upstate that instill diversity into the community, including the College of Educational Enrichment for students with developmental disabilities, the Teaching Man Program for preparing minority males to become strong teachers/leaders, and the Diversity Conference.
During the conference, breakout sessions, such as learning to work with children and families from diverse backgrounds, how teachers can support the education of homeless children, supporting the adopted child and their families, helping students unlearn stereotypes of American Indians, and teaching ESL learners in the classroom, have been designed to encourage participants to interact with each other and foster greater learning opportunities.
To learn more about this year’s conference and to register, you can go to: www.uscupstate.edu/diversityconference.
