Start Seeing Diversity at SPC

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY, PREVENTING BIAS, HAPPENING FRIDAY: ST. PHILIP’S COLLEGE STUDENTS HOST 300-PLUS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DURING MARCH 22 START SEEING DIVERSITY EARLY CHILDHOOD CONFERENCE

St. Philip’s College announced today that the college is the first-time host site of a 19-year community tradition, the Start Seeing Diversity early childhood conference that takes place on March 22 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m in several buildings at the college’s 1801 Martin Luther King Drive location.

Guests begin with registration and a keynote from speaker Janet Pozmantier on taking care of the industry’s teacher-trainers in the college’s 600-seat Watson Fine Arts Center, followed by a bevy of professional development sessions in the college’s G. J. Sutton Learning Center.

Partnership with St. Philip’s College has increased the center’s capacity to serve, with a center-record 24 professional development sessions in the lineup for 2019, center early childhood director Lisa Guerrero said on March 20. One benefit of the partnership is that in the future, students enrolled in the college’s noted Early Childhood and Family Studies program are likely to provide some administrative and logistical assistance while they learn with the city’s pros in their industry of choice. They may even network to learn more about jobs that can serve as their formal in-community clinical experience at the college. They may also learn that even in one of the nation’s most diverse colleges, learning to practice diversity is a lifelong activity.

The goal of the attendance-by-registration conference is to promote inclusiveness, acceptance and tolerance, as well as to combat the “isms” of society through the exploration of participant biases,’ organizers have communicated online. Participants are local professionals who will carry back the insights gained from the conference into the work they do within the early childhood community. Guests include early childhood teachers and directors from local public and private schools, parent educators, as well as those who work in agencies who support the needs of young children and families, according to organizers from the local The Barshop Jewish Community Center of San Antonio at 12500 N.W. Military Highway that has now organized this conference for 19 seasons. 

“We offer professional development for early childhood and people who work with young people,” said Guerrero, a veteran of 23 years in service with the center team, meaning she has served her industry since before the center began the conference project. “We have had it for 18 years, usually at our center and at other places. We’ve outgrown those locations and we are at St. Philip’s College with an expanded program this year,” Guerrero said.

“We have registered over 300 participants as of today,” said Guerrero. “The primary audience for the conference includes persons who work with young children and their families in schools, child care centers, community centers, higher education and other related professional settings,” Guerrero said.

Guests can expect to address a bevy of age, gender, sexual orientation, economic class, physical abilities and physical characteristics, race-and-ethnicity, and religion biases during the annual event. 

All details on the March 22 program are available through center early childhood program director Lisa Guerrero at 210-302-6849, guerrol@jcc-sa.org, or online. The college contact for the event and the partnership is Early Childhood and Family Studies faculty member/clinical coordinator Amy Huebner at 210-486-2838, ahuebner@alamo.edu.

About The Barshop Jewish Community Center (JCC): The Barshop Jewish Community Center (JCC) of San Antonio is committed to helping individuals develop to their maximum potential as citizens of our community and our nation. The center team strives to inspire Jewish journeys, while strengthening individual life, family unity and community involvement. The team achieves this through creative and constructive programs, which meet the cultural, educational and recreational needs of individuals, families and the community at large, according to its web communication.