As the population of the United States grows and becomes more globalized and culturally diverse, we increasingly interact with people who have belief systems, backgrounds, traditions and practices that are unfamiliar to us. It can be a challenge to know what to say, what to do, or how to respond to individuals who—like us—bring unique, culturally based expectations to the encounter.

Since 2004, the Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning program at CCBC has been augmenting participants’ cultural awareness, helping to change attitudes, adding to their knowledge of others, and strengthening their skills at interacting effectively in the field with clients, patients, customers, co-workers, colleagues, students and others.

CRTL trains faculty, staff and students by engaging them in self-reflective processes that allow them to convey to others – students, in particular – the need for self-reflection, self-advocacy and self-awareness in life’s’ ever changing cultural contexts. In CRTL’s interactive workshops, participants examine their assumptions, gain valuable cross-cultural experiences by cooperating with diverse others, and developing specific knowledge and skills necessary to work effectively with all people. The training program is based on the research of forerunners in cultural pedagogy such as Gloria Ladson-Billings, Geneva Gay, Etta Hollins, Claude Steele, Carol Dweck and is continuously updated with recent research in the field.