What We Do

Young Hearts Open Minds™ is delivered to preschools and childcare centers through online learning, print materials, and in-person training. A vibrant and engaging web-based instruction program helps teachers, childcare professionals, facilitators/coaches, and parents discuss and learn from each other.

All materials and activities are designed for two specific age groups, acknowledging their differences in cognitive, social-emotional, and language development: (1) children ages 1–2 years and; (2) children ages 3–5 years.

Evaluation of Young Hearts Open Minds™ shows that teachers and site directors highly value the YHOM program and that it is making a significant difference through:

• Increased awareness among the teaching staff of the importance of addressing race and race bias-related issues in their classrooms;
• Increased awareness of the staff’s understanding of their own biases and potential impact that can have on their children;
• Increased teachers’ confidence in utilizing teaching strategies that help prevent the development of bias, in particular race bias in their children;
• Improved teachers’ capacity to implement communication strategies with parents to celebrate differences and prevent the development of bias in their children.

A Comprehensive System Change Results Model

Training for teachers and children in a childcare or preschool
Through the Young Hearts Open Minds curriculum, teachers learn how to help prevent the development of bias, in particular race bias, in young children.

Educational materials for young children
Young Hearts Open Minds identifies books, toys, music, and games available in the marketplace that help children embrace differences.

Support for parents and caregivers in the home setting
Young Hearts Open Minds materials help parents and caregivers apply up-to-date child development knowledge to prevent the development of bias in their children.

Evidence-based public policy
Young Hearts Open Minds recommends systems-level policies and practices in the early childhood industry and government sectors that can contribute to reducing the development of bias.

Higher education early childhood teacher education programs
The Young Hearts Open Minds research-based curriculum is incorporated into courses that prepare students to be early childhood educators.

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More about the Program Design

Early childhood education and developmentally appropriate practices inform both the design and delivery of the Young Hearts Open Minds™ program. Chief among these practices are: the importance and use of play in a very young child’s education; one-to-one and small group conversations with children; storytelling and story-acting; multi-sensory and multi-media experiences; children’s own artwork; and the inclusion of elements common to each child’s culture including music, food, and clothing.

Program design also includes recommendations about how best to establish an environment that is safe, open, interactive, consistent, exploratory, and developmentally appropriate—one which fosters a strong sense of self-worth and supports a sense of belonging.

In all cases, the goal of the Young Hearts Open Minds™ program is to identify methods to easily incorporate it into existing teaching and childcare practices by utilizing professionals’ own experiences and expertise.