Special Cultural and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) backpacks are available at Armadale library to teach children how to acknowledge, celebrate and value diverse cultures.
The backpacks are part of the City of Armadale’s initiatives to promote inclusion and educate the community.
Deputy Mayor Carole Frost recently attended a morning Learning English Through Storytime (LETS) session at the Armadale Library and said the City has a very diverse multicultural community
“The backpacks are an excellent way to teach children to understand the similarities and differences between themselves and others,” she said.
“These resources will go a long way to help each child feel proud, accepted and to value diversity,”
The CaLD backpacks contain colourful cloth dolls, which represent a range of cultures, and the traditional musical instruments offer a learning experience to broaden children’s understanding of different cultures and traditions.
The collection of books also offer engaging stories for young children enabling them to relate to a diverse variety of cultures within their community.
Ather Pervaiz who is the Operations Manager at the Multicultrual Communities Council of WA said he believes the backpacks will help children understand diversity and inclusion by reducing the gap between CaLD children and cognitice learning.
“Some migrant families including their children experience language barriers, feeling torn between cultures, intergenerational conflict, racism and discrimination, bullying and resettlement stress,” he said.
“Therefore, it is important for their wellbeing that they have a strong sense of identity and sense of belonging.
“By having CaLD people representation in children’s learning is a way to develop a sense of identity and belonging in the context of both their culture of origin and the new cultural context of living in Australia.”
