Arab Americans in Michigan
 
Michigan is fortunate to be a state that has wonderful diversity in many different ways and areas throughout the state. 
 

A first-ever Latino summit, sponsored by AT&T Michigan,  was held on December 9, 2011 at the MSU Kellogg Center. The Michigan Alianza para Mejoramiento y Avance (MI-ALMA- Michigan Alliance of Latinos Moving Towards Advancement) convened over 100 Michigan Hispanic leaders and professionals for this important event.   The focus was specifically on education and civic engagement, two important areas that can have tremendous impact on the trajectory of the lives of young children. 
 

We often hear the term multicultural competency.  What does it have to do with the systems work that you do?  What does it mean to those you interact with in a daily basis and to those you hope to engage in the work? In our busy schedules, we do not often take the time to share with each other and learn from and about each other. 

I don’t know about you, but I have loved “back to school” for as long as I can remember.   There is nothing I looked forward to more than picking out new school supplies…the notebooks, unsharpened pencils, and most especially the 64 Crayola crayons. Looking at those 64 new crayons always made my heart beat a little faster, knowing that I could color the worlds I saw, and imagined, making beauty from a blank piece of paper.
 

How do you define ‘culture’? I find that conversations about culture invariably evolve into a conversation about diversity and vice versa. I suppose that both of these words conjure images of and about differences. Those images may be both negative and positive which is bound to have an effect on the communication between and among people. 
 

Change and early childhood

This is a quote I wrote down from a meeting earlier this week. I find it an interesting piece of information. Over many years I have been involved in a variety of teams, collaboratives and boards that were responsible for improving programs and services for children and families. I have also been connected in a number of ways to local families who are the customers to those services.
 

The heart of our work---my reminder is Sophia
 
Last week I spent an evening with my Granddaughter, Sophia who I fondly refer to as “Little Jaguar”. This weekly time with her is sacred and no matter what else is happening in life it is a commitment I honor.   
 

The importance of diversity
 
We often hear that diversity is important in our work. 
 
Have you stopped to ponder why? I have given it some thought and have more to ponder. I believe that reflecting on the value of diversity is a first step in opening up for personal growth. It provides an opportunity to learn in a very different way than how one has learned in the past.  
 

A key component of systems building is change. The moving parts of the system (e.g. the people, the organizations, etc.) must be willing to change and adjust in order to improve. As I mentioned in a previous blog, change shouldn’t be forced just for the sake of change, but in order to improve functioning and therefore outcomes for young children and families.