In intimacy we find kinship. Our common interests bring us closer to each other and provide opportunities for connection, deep empathy, and shared experiences. Our worldviews collide, but we are no longer alone. We are in a community.
One of the first times I felt like I was in the community When I was a teenager, I was in my high school’s jazz band. I auditioned to be a part of Lavinia Scholarjoined a group of teenage musicians from high schools across Chicago. We were assigned instructors to play our respective instruments and were welcomed as artists and musicians. While our peers listened to Tyga and Usher, we bonded over our love of jazz standards and gathered to hear the stunning solos of Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey, and McCoy Tyner. I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. My mentor was the late Willie Pickens. He never let us forget how special this community is.
I believe this is an experience that every child deserves, to have their full identity seen, heard, and affirmed. This is why, as a Black early childhood educator and counselor, I believe we need to provide a similar safe space for young children.
Our school defines affinity groups as: A peer network that brings together individuals who share aspects of their identity. Our identity-based affinity groups begin in kindergarten and continue to exist in first grade, second grade, and beyond. Our first group started in Nursery 4.
Author Monita K. Bell shares her experience with affinity groups. overview:
“Students need to be able to be themselves at school, and that’s where affinity groups come in. Groups of students who share a shared identity can relate to each other in ways that peers who don’t or can’t understand their own identities can’t. experience. It’s about safety and, in some cases, about the fundamental issue of injustice.”
School is a place where individuals do not necessarily feel included. This exclusion becomes more prevalent when we think more specifically about the experiences of students of color in majority-white schools. Students of color are in a constant state of proving that their experiences are real and important, and being in a constant state of proving can cause stress and anxiety. This type of stress can lead to feelings of isolation and not being seen at school.
Affinity groups have the power to reduce these effects and build a strong foundation of identity and community that actively combats the inequitable experiences that many children will encounter.
Affinity groups foster a strong foundation of identity
We often think of early childhood as: too early Discuss race, ethnicity, gender, neurodiversity, and other aspects of identity. However, systematic oppression negatively It affects child development, especially racism. Children become aware of differences from an early age, and if we don’t discuss the nuances and aspects of identity, they will make their own inferences. If schools ignore the opportunity to create a space around shared identifiers, they will ultimately harm Completed.
In early childhood education, it is the responsibility of adults to provide this experience to young children. The basis of their development occurs in the earliest years of life. They are shaped and shaped by the adults around them. But what happens when adults don’t discuss and enhance all aspects of identity?
Affinity groups have the power to strengthen student voices and help students think critically about the world, their experiences, and their lives. education. By practicing critical thinking skills and learning to trust yourself, you can develop tools to help combat the effects of internalized racial stress and prejudice.
Our educational system is built on an outdated system that unfairly and unfairly positions whiteness and heterosexuality as the norm. To counter this, we need to talk about identity and affirm the identities of the most underrepresented people.
Build a foundation of connection
Over the past five years, our affinity groups have expanded within the EC environment and outlined specific goals.
- positive: How am I enriching socially and emotionally through this group?
- dignity: How are my/our human values celebrated?
- Visibility: How am I viewed as a valued member of the community?
After seeing how powerful affinity groups are in the EC environment, my school, colleagues, and I decided to implement these groups for our students. Each of our five affinity groups is centered around a specific identity and experience, including:
- black space (black students),
- Latinidad (Latin student)
- Digimango (South Asian student),
- Infinity (students exploring LGBTQIA+ identities) and
- Great Minds (students learning about their learning styles)
From focusing on joy and gratitude to centering the role of community, each affinity group tailors themes and activities with purpose. This expands the community and creates opportunities for students to discuss and begin to understand. intersectionality.
As an affinity group lead facilitator, I run the group weekly with two other talented colleagues. Together, we create an organized, goal-oriented curriculum that centers the affirmation of Blackness.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, our colleagues came together to support two affinity groups. They canceled physical education classes, rescheduled classrooms, and brought most of the 700 students to the gymnasium to celebrate the community’s identity, culture, and affinity.
After this celebration, our colleague said: “The children paraded with flags and looked so happy. I spoke with many students throughout the day about how much joy and pride this gave them. I also spoke with other children who learned from the videos who were not part of Black Space, and we were able to connect and share our excitement about learning together.”
Our collaboration not only confirmed the identities of the children within the affinity group, but also allowed their peers to find connection in shared experiences and bear witness to identity confirmation.
Affinity groups tie everything together
I have had experiences where I felt supported as an affinity group leader, but that wasn’t always the case. Even now, I encounter colleagues who are worried about saying the wrong thing, talking about an affinity group that no student is in, or dealing with challenges they might receive from caregivers or parents. I am. All of these concerns are valid and I welcome the opportunity to consider them further. By talking about what makes us uncomfortable, we can support each other as a community.
The backlash we’ve received doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do this important work. Rather, it is evidence of why we must do it. When you have identity-based affinity groups in your early childhood environment, there is a domino effect of positivity. It starts with students, extends to affinity group leaders, and continues to have a positive impact that ripples throughout the entire school community.
It’s powerful start early. It becomes part of your daily work. Discussing identity becomes the norm, and children follow suit. They don’t shy away from conversations about differences. Instead, they celebrate newfound similarities and knowledge. We don’t just teach them how to hold a pencil, play with the lines and curves of letters, and use shapes to build structure. We create a learning environment where the power of affinity spaces is respected and children can grow in their full identities. There, identity is valued as part of daily goals and curriculum.
