Turtle Talk: Collectively Raising Indige-Babies

Join us Friday, October 10

for the third conversation

Episode 3: Engaging with Families in the Wiikwedong ECD Collaborative – Indigenous Visiting

Friday, October 10, 3–4 pm ET / 12–1 pm PT

The relationship between early learning programs and families is critical. In many systems, family engagement is prescribed through home visits and checklists and observation protocols. The Wiikwedong Early Childhood Development (ECD) Collaborative in the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community has asked the question: How do we visit Ojibwe families in ways that draw upon Native cultural practices of relationship, connection, and care? Out of their inquiry into this question has emerged the concept of Indigenous Visiting. In this episode, members of the Wiikwedong ECD Collaborative will join us to discuss these questions: What is Indigenous Visiting within the practice of early childhood development? What is the Wiikwedong ECD Collaborative’s process of developing Indigenous Visiting practices across four early childhood development programs and family services? And what are examples of learning kits that parents, families, and teachers can engage in creating together?

Our speakers: Cheryl LaRose

 Cheryl LaRose is an experienced educator with a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) and over 40 years in the field. Her career spans teaching, mentoring, and administrative roles, with key positions at BHK Child Development Head Start, Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College as the ECE department chair, and the American Indian College Fund. She currently contributes her expertise as a team member of the Wiikwedong Early Childhood Development Collaborative, dedicated to advancing early childhood education within Native American communities.  

Heather Wood

Heather Wood has lived in rural Michigan her entire life and has worked with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community for over 20 years. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Preschool and Family Life Services. Her work has always had a community focus, with particular attention to maternal child health. She has served as a program administrator, manager, and parent and child educator.

Register today

Turtle Talk: Collectively Raising Indige-babies is a free conversation series convened by the Indigenous Early Learning Collaborative (IELC) Institute as a fun way to engage parents and families in thinking forward about how we collectively raise Indigenous children and babies in a contemporary and fast-growing technological, global Indigenous society. The series is moderated by Tarajean Yazzie-Mintz, EdD, IELC Institute Director and Co-Founder and Principal Consultant at First Light Education Project. All episodes are free and open to all -- register today!

Our 60-minute conversations run on four Fridays, beginning on May 2 and ending on November 7. Each webinar has live Spanish language translation and captioning available.

Can't attend the live webinars? 

Register now to receive the recordings.

Registration Link

**This is an external event, not hosted by NICCA