New Anti-Racism Podcast Series Helps Children Understand Racial Identity, Diversity, and Justice

Episodes based on award-winning social-emotional learning curriculum to spark conversations between children and adults

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Feb 01, 2021, 06:00 ET

SEATTLE, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As systemic inequities in America were laid bare in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic and the movement for racial justice, children watched from the front row. To help youth build their understanding of issues like racial identity, diversity, and justice, the award-winning podcast The Imagine Neighborhood™ has developed a new anti-racism episode series, "Imagine Equity." This new programming and others from Committee for Children promoting youth empowerment and family engagement were made possible by a $220,000 grant from The Allstate Foundation.

"We're committed to helping families and educators get the resources they need to inspire future leaders and accelerate positive change," said Francie Schnipke Richards, vice president of The Allstate Foundation and Societal Innovation. "Committee for Children empowers youth with self-awareness, confidence, and empathy that will encourage them to embrace diversity and stand up for racial equity."

The Imagine Neighborhood is built on the framework of Committee for Children's award-winning Second Step® social-emotional learning (SEL) programs. A new "Imagine Equity" episode will air weekly on Mondays starting February 1, 2021, the beginning of Black History Month. The episodes draw from a framework created by Louise Derman-Sparks, MA, Debbie LeeKeenan, MEd, and John Nimmo, EdD, for developing anti-bias leaders in early childhood education. Each episode features lively characters and fun stories to help kids and grown-ups develop a detailed understanding of crucial anti-racism concepts such as identity, diversity, justice, injustice, and activism.

"In the wake of the social turmoil of 2020, it's clear families desperately want and need to deepen their understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice," said Mia Doces, vice president of innovation at Committee for Children. "We're thrilled to receive support from The Allstate Foundation to advance ingenuity in social-emotional learning and build inventive, research-based strategies to grow children's foundational understanding of anti-racism and social justice."

The Allstate Foundation's grant will also support The Imagine Neighborhood's other family engagement and youth empowerment programs, including a new fellowship developed to amplify youth voices and empower the next generation of SEL podcasters. Youth will help create future episode segments of The Imagine Neighborhood that teach young children key social-emotional concepts and skills in ways that resonate most.

Kids and grown-ups can listen to The Imagine Neighborhood's "Imagine Equity" episodes at imagineneighborhood.org or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Stitcher, or anywhere podcasts are found.

"We're honored to receive philanthropic support from the Allstate Foundation," said Committee for Children CEO Andrea Lovanhill. "Partnerships like this play a fundamental role in achieving our goal to positively transform the lives of 100 million children annually by 2028."

About Committee for Children
Committee for Children is on a mission to ensure children everywhere can thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. Best known for our innovative social-emotional learning programs that blend research and rigor with intuitive design, we empower children and adults with skills that help them realize their goals in the classroom and throughout their lives. Since 1979, we've been connecting experts in the field to share experiences and advance the cause of educating the whole child. We also help pass policies and legislation that place importance on creating safe and supportive learning environments. Today our programs reach more than 16.5 million children in 34 percent of all US elementary schools. By lifting up children today, we're helping them create a safe and positive society for the future. Learn more at cfchildren.org.

About The Allstate Foundation
The Allstate Foundation accelerates positive change by empowering and educating the most vulnerable, inspiring today's visionaries and promoting community leadership. More information on The Allstate Foundation is available at AllstateFoundation.org and by following @AllstateFDN on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Media Contacts
Shauna McBride
Vice President, Public Relations and Communications, Committee for Children
[email protected], 206-612-8718

M'Bilia Meekers
Senior Public Relations Specialist, Committee for Children
[email protected], 206-438-6541

SOURCE Committee for Children