The Preschool–2nd Grade Educators Diversity Summit

Neurodiversity-Affirming Language and Practice in the Classroom

Facilitator(s): Laurie Sherman and Maureen McHugh

This presentation provides an introductory exploration of the neurodiversity movement, foundational philosophical models such as the social model of disability, currently accepted affirming terminology, and practical classroom strategies to embed neurodiversity-affirming practices in preschool and elementary settings. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how language shapes inclusive learning environments and actionable ideas for supporting all learners through strengths-based, respectful practices.

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The Identity-Conscious Educator: Building Habits and Skills for More Inclusive Schools

Facilitator(s): Dr. Liza Talusan

Identity informs our daily work, even if we have not built the habits and skills for recognizing its impact. Building an identity-conscious practice means understanding that who we are shapes how we act, interact, and see the world around us. Participants will have the opportunity for question and answer as well as small group discussion with Dr. Liza Talusan, facilitator, educator, and scholar-practitioner in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and identity.

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Nurturing Future Activists — Teaching Young Children the Skills and Dispositions that Uphold Justice Work

Facilitator(s): Jarrod Green

In this interactive workshop, participants will collaborate to develop ideas for preparing young children for DEIJ learning and a lifetime of justice work. We will identify age-appropriate skills and ideas that, when taught, prepare children for more successful long-term learning about diversity and identity-related topics. Participants will share past experiences and create plans for teaching these skills and ideas in their own schools and classrooms. Attendees will leave with insights into the nuances of learning for justice, along with practical ideas that can be implemented immediately.

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Belonging: Beyond a Buzzword

Facilitator(s): Sheila Pai

We cannot fast-track belonging, but we can cultivate the conditions for belonging to take root and flourish. This workshop explores the on-the-ground and in-the-heart realities of belonging. Hard to define, we know belonging when we see, hear, and feel it. Participants will grapple with the complexity and nuance of this fundamental human need and its expression in daily interactions and relationships with families. Come ready to gain insight into cultivating a robust and resilient sense of belonging throughout the entire community.

Radical Morning Meeting: Centering Joy and Justice in Classrooms and Beyond

Facilitators: Sam Gerlach and Carrie Ryter.

In this workshop, participants are introduced to the Radical Morning Meeting (RMM) framework, which invites educators and organizers to build community while cultivating skills for both joy and justice. After a brief introduction to the Philly Children’s Movement, our work, and the development and piloting of the RMM framework, participants will be led through a RMM, which includes individual reflection, small group activities, and reading/watching a text, among other components. In addition, they will learn how RMM aligns with Gholdy Muhammad’s “Five Pursuits” (Muhammad, 2020) and will begin planning how they can utilize this framework in their own practice in the classroom and beyond.

Sam Gerlach is a K-8 Educator in the Greater Philadelphia Area, owner of a recording studio in Philadelphia and an NYU alumni. He has worked with Philly Children’s Movement since its creation. His life to this point has been focused on bettering the lives of future generations, breaking generational trauma cycles and making sure that other Black males get involved in more activism and social justice education work in the city of Philadelphia.

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It’s Complicated… Parsing Apart Oversimplified Notions of Race, Skin Color, Ethnicity, Religion and Geography with First and Second Graders and Their Families

Facilitator(s): Bernadette McCleary, M.Ed and Brian Caselli Jordan, M.Ed

It’s complicated, and that’s the point. The findings from decades of developmental research around racial socialization and our observations of the daily lived ways young children innocently play out well-worn patterns of implicit bias in our classroom inspired us to have proactive conversations with our 1st and 2nd grade students and their families about identity. In this workshop, we will share some of our work with students and families and invite participants to share ways they have approached similar conversations or challenges they have faced in doing so.

Our goal is not to give answers, but to sow questions, offer broad frameworks that capture many nuances, and cut away at oversimplified and limiting understandings our students may hold. Come join us to talk about the elephants and icebergs in the room.

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The Culturally Competent Educator: Understanding and Discussing Ecological Systems and Mental Health in the Classroom

Facilitator(s): Caitlyn Thomas and Haley LeFevre

This workshop, facilitated by doctoral students in clinical child psychology, will encourage participants to think critically about the environmental factors that influence child development and to explore practical ways to ensure that the school systems in which children are naturally embedded are supportive, responsive, and protective. Participants will learn about Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and engage in a collaborative discussion of the theory and how it applies to child development.

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“All About Me” — A Kindergarten Curriculum to Understand Ourselves and Connect with Others

Facilitator(s): Jarrod Green and Silvio Navarro

In this workshop, a kindergarten teaching team presents “The Identity Project,” a months-long unit that explores self-concept and celebrates diversity. In this project, students explore four aspects of themselves: their insides (names, feelings, preferences, ideas), their outsides (appearances, abilities), their people (relationships, families, friendships), and their places (environments, settings).

Throughout the project, children learn more about themselves—but just as importantly, they learn about each other. By learning about ourselves and how we fit within a classroom community, we build more inclusive spaces in which diversity is both normalized and celebrated. In this workshop, you’ll hear about the continuing development of this curriculum and share and develop ideas to use in your own classrooms.

Yep! Click here to fill out the form. Keep in mind the timeline & dates to submit your entry by!

• Deadline: January 16, 2026 
• Notification: January 20, 2026 
• Acceptance: January 30, 2026

Of Course. We have some of our basic pricing list below. For more information on sponsoring this event, click here.

• Summit Sponsor: $1,250
• Workshop Sponsor: $500
• Activity Sponsor: $250

Our event program is the perfect opportunity to promote your business or organization. Contact us today to discuss more about advertising with the Diversity Summit. Some basic pricing:

• Full Page: $100
• Half Page: $50 
• Quarter Page: $25

If you have further questions about the event, sponsorhip, advertising, or event workshops please contact us at:

• Nora Quinn, Summit Coordinator
  nquinn@theschoolinrosevaley.org
• Greater Philadelphia Diversity Collaborative
  gpdiversitycollaborative@gmail.com