Saturday
Posted Nov 26, 2016 at 11:20 AM
Wicked Local Newton
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Gateways staff member, Gary Alpert is mentioned in last paragraph. Deaf since birth, Alpert will spearhead this new program]
Gateways: Access to Jewish Education has announced that it has partnered with Understanding Our Differences, a Newton-based organization that developed a disability awareness curriculum for students in grades 3-5, and the Ruderman Family Foundation to create the Ambassadors for Inclusion program, an initiative that teaches students in Jewish day schools and congregational schools to understand, respect and speak thoughtfully about differences.
The AFI is designed to expose students to continuous, developmentally appropriate messages about disability awareness and advocacy in order to foster more inclusive Jewish communities. The program is the first of its kind nationally to address students in multiple Jewish educational environments, in grades K-12. For the past three years, Gateways has partnered with UOD to bring that program to seven Jewish day schools and three congregational schools in the Greater Boston Area. The K-12 AFI initiative builds on the success of the three-year pilot of the grades three-five program, significantly expanding its scope and geographic reach.
The program will continue in the initial partner schools and Gateways will implement the initiative at additional sites, including rolling out the UOD curriculum for grades 3-5 at schools in West Hartford, Connecticut and Port Chester, New York. Gateways began working with middle school students in 2015-16, using a panel discussion format focused on the theme of bullies and allies. The organization will continue to develop age-appropriate curricula for students in these grades. Gateways will also begin to develop and launch the initiative in grades K-2 and 9-12. The full K-12 AFI curriculum will incorporate, books, art, hands-on activities, speakers and other tools to help promote disability awareness and inclusion in all Jewish communal settings.
The Ruderman Family Foundation and Gateways have committed to partnering for three years to pilot the AFI initiative in the Boston area and to share it beyond Boston. The program will be spearheaded by Gateways staff member Gary Alpert. Deaf since birth, Alpert has worked in a multitude of educational settings and has spent the past 14 years at the Jewish Community Day School of Greater Boston. He has been connected with Understanding Our Differences for 30 years as a speaker, board member and officer, and as a parent of children who have graduated the UOD program. Under former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Alpert served on a special gubernatorial advisory council to promote education and build policies to support individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. Alpert holds a degree in sociology and elementary education from Brandeis University and is a certified elementary school teacher. Both Gateways and the Ruderman Family Foundation look forward to building the capacity of a new generation of Ambassadors for Inclusion.
For information: jgateways.org.
Source: newton.wickedlocal.com/news/20161126/newton-organization-helps-jewish-students-embrace-inclusion-
