Respecting Diversity
Providers & membersEarly Years - Respecting Diversity provides a framework for children, families, settings and communities to work in partnership to create a more peaceful and socially cohesive society. The programme explores how individuals build skills and knowledge to explore differences, feelings, inclusion and a changing social context.
The programme is child rights based, using persona dolls to explore and build respectful relationships, and has at its core an approach which supports managing big emotions with children and adults.
About the programme
The Respecting Diversity Programme is a strategically important early years intervention, designed to help settings embed inclusive, rights-based care and education for children aged 3-4 across Northern Ireland and Ireland. Building on the legacy of the Media Initiative for Children, the programme provides a practical model for strengthening children’s positive identity, empathy, emotional wellbeing, belonging and respect for difference from the earliest stages of learning.
The programme provides a framework that enables Early Education and Care settings to respond proactively to a changing social context characterised by global climate change, migration, racism, poverty, sectarianism, neurodifference, mental health pressures, evolving family and gender norms, digital inequality, and the continuing legacy of division.
Key approaches
The Respecting Diversity Programme is underpinned by the following key approaches:
A Child Rights Approach and Child Rights Based Programming
Ecological Model
Persona Dolls Approach
Developmental Relationship Based Intervention Principles
A Participatory Evaluation Approach
Programme design and training
Three-day training workshop for educators and practitioners
One-day refresher training
Reflective practice training and support
Research
Explore the evidence behind the programme
Respecting Diversity was informed by research into how young children develop attitudes about identity and difference, and has itself been independently evaluated.
Recent research explored children’s awareness of cultural and racial difference in Northern Ireland and helped inform the development of the programme. The Respecting Diversity Programme is built on a wealth of research from both the legacy of the Media Initiative for Children - Respecting Difference programme and the current refreshed programme review.
A cluster randomised trial evaluation
The Centre for Effective Education at Queen’s University Belfast evaluated the programme through a cluster randomised controlled trial involving 74 pre-school settings and 1,181 children aged three to four, alongside parents and practitioners.
The study reported positive effects in areas including children’s socio-emotional development and recognition of and respect for cultural difference.
-
Too Young to Notice?
Children’s awareness of cultural and racial difference in Northern Ireland · 527.06 KB
-
A Cluster Randomised Trial Evaluation of the Media Initiative for Children: Respecting Difference
Full evaluation, Queen’s University Belfast · 2.35 MB
-
Respecting Difference in education - 2015 evaluation
Education-sector evaluation · 719.67 KB
-
Rural Respecting Difference Programme - evaluation
Rural programme evaluation · 562.54 KB
Training and support
Bring Respecting Diversity into your setting
Early Years can support practitioners to understand the programme and use its themes, activities and resources within their setting.
Contact the team to ask about:
- current training opportunities
- programme materials
- support for practitioners
- how parents and carers can be involved
- costs and availability
- which version of the programme is appropriate for your age group
Contact
Talk to us about Respecting Diversity
Interested in training, programme resources or using Respecting Diversity in your setting? Tell us about your setting, the age group you work with and what you would like to explore.
- Telephone
- 028 9066 2825
- training@early-years.org