Gender, Sexuality, and the Family: A Three-Part Series for Early Childhood Educators

February 27, 2023

During the early childhood years, children begin to develop a conception of gender, sexuality, and family. However, there is often little space for teachers to talk about the questions and behaviors that come up in their classrooms, or how to explore these concepts with children in their curriculum and pedagogy. Parents and family members often feel in the dark as well, with little opportunity to discuss and collaboratively develop strategies for working with their children or young people. 

To open up this conversation, The Jewish Education Project is bringing in the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute to offer a series of workshops for early childhood educators designed to spark discussion, facilitate the creation of shared language, and provide educators and the resources they need to make their classrooms safe spaces for the development and expansive exploration of identity.  

The Jewish Education Project, in partnership with Project SEED, a program of Westchester Jewish Community Services, is excited to be hosting a three-part web series for early childhood educators to learn about and grapple with topics of gender, sexuality, and family in the early childhood classroom.  

Registration is limited, reserve your spot by February 26, 2023. 

For more information contact Sasha Kopp: skopp@jewishedproject.org 

Milo Giovanniello
Milo Giovanniello

Milo Giovanniello (they/them) is an educator and organizer working for racial and gender justice, and a therapist in training with a focus on supporting queer and trans disabled survivors. As an educator and facilitator for the past 9 years, they have gained experience facilitating conversations with young people and adults about racial and gender justice, identity and gender exploration, sexuality, and consent. They hold a BA in education and sociology/anthropology from Swarthmore College and are currently a second year MSW student at Smith.

Kate Engle
Kate Engle

Kate Engle (she/her) is a facilitator and consultant who partners with institutional leaders to explore how racial and gender identities impact individuals, relationships, and communities. She is committed to unmasking the consistent patterns of oppression that manifest in education and nonprofits, and challenging the ways that progressive institutions and individuals replicate these patterns. 

 

Kate works as a trainer with organizations including the Center for Racial Justice in Education, Bank Street’s Center on Culture, Race & Equity, Mary Pender Greene Consulting, and the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute. She taught 3-year-olds for 11 years in New York City and has an MSEd in Early Childhood Education from Hunter College.

Jim Clay
Jim Clay

Jim Clay (he/him) has been an early childhood educator for over 40 years, starting out as a teacher’s aide in Head Start, and later becoming an assistant teacher and then finally a lead teacher in a community-based program. The birth of his son and parenting responsibilities took him out of the classroom and eventually to becoming a center director. He quickly learned he did not have the skills for program administration so completed an MS in Early Childhood Leadership from Bank Street. Along the way, he provided plenty of training for the teachers at his school. Almost all his years in early childhood education have been in Friends education, and currently he serves on the board of the Friends Council on Education. Throughout he has been a founding member and active facilitator of the LGBTQ Interest Forum (Caucus) of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, writing articles for Young Children and leading workshops at the annual national conference - all to promote a good working environment for LGBT educators, support the parents of LGBT children, and help to create the right educational environment for children who will later identify as LGBTQ.

Details

Setting

  • Early Childhood
  • Family Engagement