Many hands drew, colored and dipped themselves into paint with one common purpose – to illustrate the importance of diversity. The hands belonged to students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cahokia Head Start Center. The reason was to participate in SIUE’s second annual Diversity Day on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
“My center has participated in Diversity Day for the past two years,” said Florence Y. Chears-Lawrence, Cahokia Head Start Center coordinator. “This year, students in each classroom, along with their parents, created a work of art that represented diversity. We explained the word diversity in terms that the children could understand: ‘We are all different, yet we are all the same!’”
“One class chose to make paper plate faces,” continued Chears-Lawrence. “This taught the children that everyone has a face, and although there are differences, they are all beautiful!”
It was also important for the Cahokia Center staff to participate in the Diversity Day, according to the coordinator.
“My staff needs to know that they are part of the University, and although the work they are doing with preschool-aged children is different than the work that SIUE faculty does, their jobs are still critical,” noted Chears-Lawrence. “This was an amazing event. I am looking forward to next year’s and the excitement it will bring!”
Photos:Students from the SIUE Cahokia Head Start Center participated in the University’s second annual Diversity Day. Shown are students with teacher Shante Elliott (left) and teaching assistant Tracey Burris (right).