How to Stop the Cycle of Hate? Education, Education, Education!

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. - May 3, 2013 - PRLog -- From the recent rash of hate crimes after the Boston Marathon bombing to the Oak Creek (Wisc.) massacre, senseless acts of violence against Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, and others because of the color of their skin, national origin, or religious beliefs are on the rise nationwide.  

“Many of the issues we are facing today stem from a lack of positive interactions with differences,” says the American Conference on Diversity President and CEO Elizabeth Williams-Riley. “We need to provide more education to interrupt these negative attitudes and behaviors and prevent hate crimes. The Educators’ Institute gives teachers the tools and skills to effective implement multicultural education!”

Now in its eighth year, the American Conference on Diversity, in cooperation with the Peter Sammartino School of Education at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) and with generous support from Wells Fargo Bank, will offer “The Power of Educators: Creating Multicultural Learning Environments” through our Educators’ Institute in June and July. The intensive four-day course combines instruction, experiential activities, facilitated dialogue, and small group work for teachers, administrators, counselors, and teachers-in-training who are interested in building more inclusive and affirming classrooms.

The featured presenter will be one of our 2012 Greater Bergen Chapter Humanitarian Award honorees and published author, Fairleigh Dickinson University Associate Professor of Education Dr. Khyati Y. Joshi. “We all have biases and we have to learn to recognize them,” says Dr. Joshi. “This Institute aims to do just that.”

Educators receive 28 CEUs for participating in the Educators’ Institute series, which will be offered twice. From June 25-28, the series will be held at FDU’s College at Florham. From July 9- 12, the series will be held at FDU’s Metropolitan Campus. The Institute will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

The registration fee is $265. Breakfast, lunch, and all program materials are included. Advance registration is required at http://summereducatorsinstitute2013.kintera.org.  Non-refundable registration fees apply. Please register by 5 p.m. EDT May 24, for the June session, and June 21 for the July session.

What Have Attendees Said About Our Educators’ Institute?

“The Educators’ Institutes I attended were informational and provided me with the tools I need to face the problems that come with urban education in a multicultural setting. The American Conference on Diversity Educators’ Institutes have paved the way for me, as a teacher, to begin to do something about the educational gap that exists in my classroom. I am fortunate to have learned many valuable lessons and I have continued to direct this information to other teachers in my department.”

--Erma Percival, Dept. Coordinator, Applied Tech, Business, Family & Consumer Science, Dickinson High School, Jersey City, NJ

About Dr. Khyati Y. Joshi

Dr. Joshi’s work intersects racial, religious, and all other dimensions of diversity and inclusion. A passionate advocate for multicultural education, she has devoted her career to educating leaders and educators about the value of inclusive education. She has presented her research at the White House, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and as a host of academic conferences. Prior to joining FDU’s faculty, Dr. Joshi was a visiting assistant professor at the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race at Columbia University. She has written numerous publications, including her book, New Roots in America’s Sacred Ground: Religion, Race, and Ethnicity in Indian America (Rutgers, 2006), which won the 2007 Phillip C. Chinn Book Award from the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME).  She co-edited Understanding Religious Oppression and Christian Privilege (Sense, 2008). She has co-authored chapters on religious oppression and immigration, racism, and globalization for the second editions of Readings for Diversity and Social Justice and Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice. Dr. Joshi was the Religion, Schools, and Society section editor for the Encyclopedia on Diversity in Education.

About the American Conference on Diversity

The programs, services, and initiatives of the American Conference on Diversity are among the most important work focused on creating a more inclusive society. It is the unfinished business of living in a highly diverse nation: educating and empowering our next generation of leaders; enhancing our workplaces; and helping to create inclusive communities. The American Conference on Diversity, which has been serving schools, organizations, workplaces, and communities in New Jersey since 1948, builds on a historic mission and creates programs and activities relevant and vital to 21st Century life. It is a journey we can all take together. The American Conference on Diversity operates eight chapters to help us to educate and empower leaders and bring our messages of inclusion and respect to communities throughout New Jersey: Atlantic County Chapter, Bayonne Chapter, Central Jersey Chapter, Essex County Chapter, Greater Bergen Chapter, Hudson County Chapter, Jersey Shore Chapter, and Mercer County Chapter. Visit www.AmericanConferenceonDiversity.org to learn more.

Contact:
Gail Zoppo
Media Relations Consultant
109 Church Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
gail@AmericanConferenceonDiversity.org
732-745-9330