One of the most critical aspects of exceptionality is the impact of culture, ethnicity, and identity on students. Recently, teachers, parents, students, and practitioners came together for The Future is Inclusive – Neuro and Culturally Diverse Symposium. This virtual conference was the first event of its kind to specifically address how to support culturally diverse twice-exceptional students and to discuss the intersectionality of neuro and cultural diversity and its implications for students’ education and well-being. Bridges 2e Center organized and hosted the symposium.
The symposium opened with a panel discussion of parents and students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. The speakers shared their lived experiences. Common themes for the parents’ discussions were about honoring their cultural backgrounds while carving new paths for their own children and families. After each panel member spoke, participants moved into small breakout discussions, giving them the opportunity to converse and network with one another. One of the primary goals of the symposium was to create a community of unique voices and allow people to come together by sharing their personal stories.
Dr. Joy Lawson Davis, a cultural diversity expert, focused on the urgency of championing the inclusivity movement now when so many children face educational, social, and emotional hardships due to a lack of awareness about how to best support diverse students. Dr. Davis invited the participants to “help the nation, help the world, help the land understand these children better – how to meet their intellectual needs, their academic needs, their psychosocial needs.”
In the “Applied Knowledge is Power” session, Dr. Anne Gray, Dr. Nielsen Pereira, and Dr. Carlita Cotton shared their research related to the lack of identification of gifted and culturally diverse students and how to devise strategies for working successfully with culturally diverse 2e students in the classroom.
Dr. Joy Lawson Davis
Regarding the challenges of navigating diversity in and out of the classroom, Dr. Gilman Whiting encouraged teachers and parents to be curious and creative. “We often feel as though we have to have the answer,” he said. “We’re just scratching the surface right now with regards to neurodivergence.”
Throughout the conference, adult professionals offered personal anecdotes about the challenges and gifts of growing up at the intersection of cultural and neuro diversity. They shared identity formation strategies and gave impactful, moving accounts of their experiences and of raising their 2e culturally diverse children. Many of these personal accounts were deeply moving. The general consensus among participants in the conference was great appreciation for the ability to engage in poignant conversations regarding inclusivity.
To find out about future events – meet-ups, online discussions, support groups, and more – hosted by The Future is Inclusive, please fill out this form. You may also contact the event organizers by writing to inclusive@bridges.edu.
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Marna Walthall Wohlfeld is a mom of four and lives in Bloomington, IN. Passionate about advocating for 2e students, she is a trained SENG facilitator, the managing editor of GHF’s Journey newsletter, and currently working on her doctorate.
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One of the most critical aspects of exceptionality is the impact of culture, ethnicity, and identity on students. Recently, teachers, parents, students, and practitioners came together for The Future is Inclusive – Neuro and Culturally Diverse Symposium. This virtual conference was the first event of its kind to specifically address how to support culturally diverse twice-exceptional students and to discuss the intersectionality of neuro and cultural diversity and its implications for students’ education and well-being. Bridges 2e Center organized and hosted the symposium.
The symposium opened with a panel discussion of parents and students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. The speakers shared their lived experiences. Common themes for the parents’ discussions were about honoring their cultural backgrounds while carving new paths for their own children and families. After each panel member spoke, participants moved into small breakout discussions, giving them the opportunity to converse and network with one another. One of the primary goals of the symposium was to create a community of unique voices and allow people to come together by sharing their personal stories.
Dr. Joy Lawson Davis, a cultural diversity expert, focused on the urgency of championing the inclusivity movement now when so many children face educational, social, and emotional hardships due to a lack of awareness about how to best support diverse students. Dr. Davis invited the participants to “help the nation, help the world, help the land understand these children better – how to meet their intellectual needs, their academic needs, their psychosocial needs.”
In the “Applied Knowledge is Power” session, Dr. Anne Gray, Dr. Nielsen Pereira, and Dr. Carlita Cotton shared their research related to the lack of identification of gifted and culturally diverse students and how to devise strategies for working successfully with culturally diverse 2e students in the classroom.
