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It’s a Wrap: Kaur Foundation and the
2017 – 2018 School Year

Dear Educators: 
Thank you for your participation in the 2017 – 2018 school year! It was a very active period for the Kaur Foundation. 
 
The Foundation continued its mission to promote inclusiveness through an understanding of diversity by participating in conferences, working with teachers in their classrooms and increasing the Foundation’s online library of resources available for teachers’ use.

Participation in National, Regional and State Conferences for Social Studies Teachers

Kaur Foundation hosted events and met hundreds of teachers from all over the U.S. at seven conferences for social studies.

 In November 2017, Kaur Foundation participated in the National Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference in San Francisco.  The President's Reception hosted by Kaur Foundation at the San Jose Gurdwara with the local Sikh community was a first of its kind. 

March also brought the California Council for the Social Studies 2018 conference, Tearing Down Walls: Building Connections, Collaboration and Civil Discourse, in San Diego, CA.
 

In March 2018 the Kaur Foundation presented a seminar at the Middle States Social Studies Conference in Virginia.

On April 21, 2018, teachers from Southern California participated in a diversity training session at the Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Buena Park.
 

This session was co-hosted by Kaur Foundation and the California State University, Fullerton’s F.I.R.S.T program.  Program Director Connie DeCapite began the session with basic information about Sikhs along with a brief historical perspective.  She also provided teachers, from the K-12, and understanding of how this information may be used in their classrooms. 
 
Kaur Foundation’s Mirin Phool added some details about Sikh principles and values as well as information about the Sikh identity. Dr. Jasjit Kaur Ahuja, provided teachers with some insight on how bullying impacts the health of a student who is being bullied because they look different, especially in the case of Sikh boys and girls.
 

While the panel took questions from teachers, a few teachers volunteered to tie turbans and shared their feelings about wearing the turban.   

The afternoon session allowed teachers to hear from Sikh parents Bobby Oberoi, Jaskiran K. Singh, and Jaspreet Kochar.  Sikh students Baani Kaur and Arjen Singh also chimed in about their experiences in elementary, junior high, and high school.  Navsher Singh provided his perspective immigrating to the United States during high school years and at the college level. 

Each impressed upon the importance of the role of educators in creating a safe learning environment for all students, regardless of their diverse backgrounds.  There is an ongoing need for diversity education and sessions such as this one at the Gurdwara should be encouraged as a routine part of their ongoing training.
 
The teachers were given a tour of the Gurdwara by youth volunteers Ravinder S. Dubb and Jernail S. Dhillon before experiencing a delicious meal from the community kitchen, langar seated on the floor
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