Date
12-2021
Document Type
Capstone Project (Campus-Only Access)
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Department
Health, Human Services and Public Policy
Abstract
Greenfield Union School District has a population of students from a Mexican Indigenous community. The identified problem was that this population had no accurate data in their school data information system (Aeries). There is no data to represent this population's race and ethnicity due to the lack of student information accuracy. There is no urgency to employ staff representing or advocating for these students. Students have found that there is a lack of cultural sensitivity at school. There is no culturally responsive teaching aimed at helping students from different cultural backgrounds. The school does not have a program to support native-speaking students or parents to understand the school system. The second contributing factor shows that there is minimal parent involvement. Parents have found it challenging to navigate the school system, so it is difficult for parents to participate in events when they do not know or understand the importance of the event. two surveys were administered to support staff, and parents to help evaluate the problem. As well as surveys, four informational sessions were conducted with girls of indigenous Mexican descent about the importance of self-identity. This was done to help the girls become more aware of their culture, identity, and educational goals. As a result, it was found that the school district does not provide sufficient training to support staff on cultural awareness or culturally responsive teaching. This harms the lives of students and parents alike. It is highly recommended that support teams get training about cultural awareness to serve the Mexican Indigenous descent population better.
Recommended Citation
Sanchez, Florentina, "The Importance of Cultural Awareness of Minority Students" (2021). Capstone Projects and Master's Theses. 1189.
https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/caps_thes_all/1189
