Transforming Media in the Classroom
Where do teachers go to find diverse media for their students? Can we begin a global movement to achieve diverse representation in educational media?
These are the issues the nonprofit organization PicDiversity, Inc. is working to solve. Whether illustrating a classroom behavior for kindergartners or increasing exposure to career opportunities, PicDiversity’s goal is to bring diversity to the visuals and videos that surround students in the classroom. Through its website, PicDiversity offers an entire catalog of illustrations and videos for download and streaming, currently available for free to American school teachers.
This goal is about more than simply bringing diversity to class visuals—it is about transforming the internal belief system of children and teens. By ensuring the images we use in the classroom reflect the diversity around us, students learn that classroom lessons are for them. With role models as diverse as they are, they recognize that successful careers are available to all students, regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity.