P.R.I.D.E.
P.R.I.D.E. in Philly
First Up is partnering with the P.R.I.D.E. Program (Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education) at the University of Pittsburgh to implement a model that will educate teachers, program directors, families, and system leaders in Philadelphia regarding racism and inequity and empower them with tools and resources to implement change on behalf of the children they serve.
Free P.R.I.D.E. in Philly Training Series
Join us for a five part virtual training series that will enable teachers to support young children’s positive racial identity development.
Educators Will Gain:
- Knowledge about the history of race, how children are impacted by it, and acquire tools and strategies for responding to racial issues.
- The ability to proactively introduce conversations and activities that enable children to understand racial (physical) differences.
- Ways to use objective learning about race and physical difference to facilitate more advanced cognitive understandings of ‘race’.
- A foundation for open conversation about race in the early childhood profession to sustain and build on what is learned.
Click The Links To Register Today!
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Session 1: Where Am I?
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Session 2: Who Are We?
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Session 3: What Is My Role?
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Session 4: What About Children?
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Session 5: What Can I Do?
Have questions? Contact Shadeen Holmes (shadeen.holmes@firstup.org) to learn more!
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What Is P.R.I.D.E?
P.R.I.D.E stands for Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education. Young children developing positive racial identity is a key aspect of healthy, whole child development. "For young children within the ages of 3 to 8, having a positive racial identity means feeling good about one’s physical features, heritage, and history. This concept is vitally important to young Black children’s healthy growth and development, and it’s one backed by research. Studies have shown that when young Black children are socialized to see themselves in positive ways, those attitudes can lead to positive outcomes like increased test scores, better factual recall, and improved problem-solving skills. Backed by the knowledge and understanding of this research, the P.R.I.D.E. Program was designed to be a protective factor for young children, ages 3 to 8, who are often inundated with social messages that can lead them to prefer White."
When our children have P.R.I.D.E., they have improved behavior, increased memory recall, and can better grasp factual knowledge and information within school settings, with even more benefits for older children. When our children know, understand, and can celebrate their Blackness, they are better able to navigate and combat the oppression they experience living within a racist society. The P.R.I.D.E. Program's work began in Pittsburgh, PA, as a comprehensive, positive, fun strategy to help the primary adults in young Black children's lives learn P.R.I.D.E skills and experience PRIDE-full environments to help them develop positive racial identity. In an exciting turn, P.R.I.D.E.'s work has expanded to Philadelphia, partnering with First Up, to create P.R.I.D.E. Project Philly.
P.R.I.D.E. Research and Evaluation
2023 Enviornmental Scan
The world has changed quite a bit since the Race and Early Childhood Collaborative completed the P.R.I.D.E. study, Positive Racial Identity in Early Education: Understanding P.R.I.D.E. in Pittsburgh in 2016. Like the Pittsburgh scan conducted in 2016, this scan will contribute to a growing literature base about positive racial identity (PRI) by examining what PRI means to the Philadelphia early education and care community, as well as inform our understanding of the state of young children in the Philadelphia region.
It also aims to shed light on the literature and resources that might be most useful to parents and early education professionals as they take on the task of building children’s positive racial identity in southeastern Pennsylvania. Guided by the 2016 scan, the current literature on race and early childhood, and work of the P.R.I.D.E. program over the past 6 years, P.R.I.D.E. and First Up focused on understanding the status of PRI in Philadelphia with respect to awareness of the benefits of having a positive racial identity, the quantity and quality of existing interventions, and current policies in the city. Click below to learn more.
Coming Soon!
2016 Enviornmental Scan
Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education: Understanding P.R.I.D.E. in Pittsburgh. The goal of the P.R.I.D.E. scan was to further explore the intersection of race and young children in Pittsburgh. It drew on the latest race studies as well as interviews with parents, educators, and key informants; surveys of parents and teachers; classroom observations; and guidance from a local advisory committee. The work sought to answer critical questions about what is already known about positive racial identity, what work was being done to support it, and what holes existed in resources, training, and information. Findings from the study informed each component of the P.R.I.D.E. program. Read more below!
2016 P.R.I.D.E. in Pittsburgh Environmental Scan
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P.R.I.D.E. Professional Development
Participants will:
- Gain knowledge about the history of race, how children are impacted by it, and acquire tools and strategies for responding to racial issues.
- Gain the ability to proactively introduce conversations and activities that enable children to understand racial (physical) differences.
- Acquire ways to use objective learning about race and physical difference to facilitate children's more advanced cognitive understandings of ‘race’.
- Gain a foundation for open conversation about race in the early childhood profession to sustain and build on what is learned.
- Earn 20 PQAS credit for full participation.
P.R.I.D.E. Teacher Cohort
P.R.I.D.E. in Philly Teacher Cohort is a forum for exploring, sharing, and utilizing information and resources that will enable teachers to support young children’s positive racial identity development. It’s an exciting experience that gives early childhood teachers and caregivers the opportunity to discover and grow together as part of a tightly knit group dedicated to learning about and understanding how race impacts young children.
