Results matter! As a result of the CDF Action “I am a Leader” workshop held spring 2015, members of the Clarkston First Baptist Academy Welcoming Committee decided to host an “Open House.” The focus of the Open House was to provide a venue for potential and existing families from the different cultures in Clarkston to meet each other and to get to know the Academy Child Care Center staff and each other.
After several weeks of meeting, and planning, the event came to be. On September 10, 2015, guests were treated with a “welcome wall” of child care terms in English, Nepali, and Amheric, prepared by the families. Guests also enjoyed Ethiopian food, music, and a video starring the Academy’s children, staff, and families. One dad exclaimed: “Eating greens with injera (a sponge like bread) is just like eating greens with cornbread.”
In one of the child care rooms, teacher Nara talked about her Nepali culture and demonstrated what she does in the classroom, and in Vivian’s classroom, visitors enjoyed the hands on activities and heard about the activities in her class. “Neighbor Bingo” gave everybody an opportunity to go up to strangers to ask “Do you have children at Indian Creek Elementary?” or “is blue your favorite color?”
The Open House was sponsored by the Clarkston First Baptist Academy’s Welcoming Committee, whose mission is to create and maintain a consistently welcoming environment for every child and family by celebrating their family’s heritage. The Academy’s overall mission is to “collaborate with parents to positively impact the lives of our children within a safe, secure and educational environment so children can learn and grow.”
The Open House was funded in part by CDF Action’s W.K. Kellogg Foundation funded Clarkston Families Decide initiative. The event was one of several community partner projects that grew out of discussions at the I am a Leader workshop.
For more information about the Clarkston First Baptist Academy Child Care Center call (404)292-5636.