Culturally Responsive Curricular Support

The IU South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center and other local social justice-oriented organizations are here to support our local educators and students. Our culturally responsive curricular support project seeks to connect local teachers, support staff, and administrators with crucial resources that address the cultural, racial, social, and other specific needs of our South Bend students. We envision a culturally sustaining educational future for every student, teacher, and school.

Our community is here to support local educators to create inclusive and culturally responsive learning environments.

Local Organizations

Many local organizations provide workshops, field trips, lesson plans, and other resources that promote social justice, diverse representation, and culturally responsive learning in the classroom. Consult our directory to discover how our community can support you in the classroom and school.

Born from the efforts of Indiana University South Bend students and professors, the Civil Rights Heritage Center transformed a once-segregated city swimming pool into an active learning center. It explores the civil rights struggles of the past so people can take action in the present and build a better future.

Programs/Services: Guided tours for groups of roughly 10–30; regular community programming;

African American Landmark Tour; digital access to local historical primary sources; oral history podcast series.

The Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley is proud to serve as a central resource for our diverse Jewish community. Our service area includes St. Joseph, Elkhart, and surrounding counties in Indiana as well as southwest Michigan’s Berrien and Cass counties. We are composed of volunteers, contributors, and partners, seeking to meet the various human needs of the Jewish people and ensure an inclusive Jewish community for future generations. We do outreach to the non-Jewish community to build interfaith relations, and we provide Holocaust education for local schools.

Programs/Services: Holocaust education and educational programs about Israel at no cost.

Website: www.thejewishfed.org

La Casa de Amistad’s mission is to empower the Latino/Hispanic community within Michiana by providing educational, cultural and advocacy services in a welcoming, bilingual environment. We strive to find ways to help youth succeed, families develop, and communities strengthen through educational activities and advocacy programs that empower everyone we interact with through our programs.

Programs/Services: Youth programs (preschool, K-12 tutoring, summer camps), adult educational programming (English classes, citizenship classes, digital literacy, Strengthening Families program), and social services (food pantry, translations, notary services, Team HEAT, Christ Child agency referrals, legal immigration clinic).

Website: www.lacasadeamistad.org

Contact: Juan Constantino: juan2@lacasadeamistad.org

The LGBTQ Center promotes equality, builds community, and increases understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) experiences. We meet these crucial needs through educational resources, support groups, social events, and enriching programming.

Programs/Services: Social groups; support groups; diversity training; legal assistance; LGBTQ+ lending library; for parents, seniors, and youth.

Professional Development: The LGBTQ Center's Diversity Training helps to build an understanding of sexuality, gender, identity, and expression. We offer an introductory training that covers the fundamentals of understanding LGBTQ+ experiences and practicing affirmative allyship. We are also available to provide training that is more specific to your needs (i.e. gender identity, gender expression). Available by appointment; $20 per participant.

Website: www.thelgbtqcenter.org

Contact: info@thelgbtqcenter.org

The permanent collection features over 28,000 artworks from ancient to contemporary periods. The museum features artworks by African, African American, European, Latinx, Native American, and ancient Mesoamerican cultures, and presents 6–8 temporary exhibitions each year. The Museum works with over 10,000 K-12 students each year through its education programming and brings several thousand visitors to the Museum through its public and family programming.

Programs/Services: Guided tours for K-12 students, professional development for educators, family programs, programming for adults (individual and small group).

Professional Development: Periodic professional development workshops are available for educators of all levels (scheduled and upon request); always free of charge.

Website: https://raclinmurphymuseum.nd.edu/

Contact: Sarah Martin: sarah.martin@nd.edu

The CIVIC's mission is to enrich and create community through live theatre. This is accomplished through our three pillars: excellence, education, and equity. We pledge to be a light to illuminate the darkness, a flame to ignite curiosity and imagination, and a beacon to guide all toward hope, unity, and understanding.

Programs/Services: Live theatre productions, readings, youth programming, classes and camps, symposiums, public discussions, educational and community engagement events.

Professional Development: The CIVIC is committed to developing curriculum and lesson plans for topical and/or restorative justice programming such as our 10-year August Wilson Project. Our IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) Task Force is always looking for new members to help us better reflect and amplify the underrepresented voices of our community.

Contact idea@sbct.org to learn more.

Website: sbct.org

Contact: Aaron Nichols, Executive Director: aaron@sbct.org and Josh Napierkowski, Education Director: josh@sbct.org.

Educational Resources

The following resources provide specific information and support to strengthen your social justice, antiracist, inclusive, and culturally responsive pedagogy.

Additional Support

Interested in learning more? These national organizations provide additional resources and professional development in teaching social justice and creating a culturally sustaining learning environment.

Learning for Justice
Facing History and Ourselves
Teaching for Change
Zinn Education Project
Rethinking Schools
NEA Social Justice Lesson Plans
Do Something
Art and Social Justice Course for Educators

Education for Liberation Network
Institute for Teachers of Color Committed to Racial Justice
The Center for Racial Justice in Education
Black Lives Matter at School
Teaching for Black Lives
EduColor
Anti-Racist Art Teachers
1619 Project
1619 Curriculum
Civil Rights Movement Archive
Equal Justice Institute
National Civil Rights Museum
Talking About Race (National Museum of African American History & Culture)