Introduction

Figure 1 Understanding how our positionality influences our interactions helps us create inclusive environments where all children feel valued and respected.

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A diverse group of three children sits closely together, focusing on a smartphone held by the boy in the middle. The boy on the left, with curly hair and wearing a white and green tie-dye hoodie, looks attentively at the screen. The boy in the middle, with a short curly hairstyle and wearing a red and white striped T-shirt, is holding the smartphone and seems engaged with what he is showing. The girl on the right, with light brown hair tied back and wearing a yellow top, holds a blue mug and watches the screen with interest. They are seated in a modern, brightly lit room with blue walls and a circular light fixture above them.

Figure 1 Understanding how our positionality influences our interactions helps us create inclusive environments where all children feel ...

This course is designed for practitioners working with children and young people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, as well as parents raising children with minority racial identities. Whether you’re an educator, social worker, youth worker or parent, this course will equip you with essential knowledge and practical strategies to support positive racial identity development and combat racism in your daily interactions.

You’ll gain the confidence to navigate sensitive conversations about race, develop culturally responsive approaches that truly support the young people in your care, and create more inclusive environments where all children can thrive. These skills are increasingly significant in our society and will enhance your effectiveness as a practitioner or parent.

Your learning journey begins with reflection. You’ll start by examining your own position in society and exploring how your background shapes your perceptions and understanding. This self-awareness forms the foundation for meaningful growth and authentic engagement with the course content.

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• understand yourself and your impact by recognising how your own background affects your interactions with children from different racial and ethnic backgrounds
• navigate conversations about race confidently by making you feel equipped to discuss race, racism and identity with children and young people in age-appropriate ways, whether you’re a parent, teacher, or other practitioner
• support positive identity development, helping children and young people develop a strong, positive sense of their racial and ethnic identity while protecting them from the harmful effects of racism.

Moving around the course

In the ‘Summary’ at the end of each week, you will find a link to the next week. If at any time you want to return to the start of the course, click on ‘Full course description’. From here you can navigate to any part of the course.

It’s also good practice, if you access a link from within a course page, to open it in a new window or tab. That way you can easily return to where you’ve come from without having to use the back button on your browser.

You can now go to Session 1.