Bank Street Education Center

Culture, Race, and Equity

The Culture, Race, and Equity (CRE) team at the Bank Street Education Center (formerly known as the Center on Culture, Race & Equity) partners with educators, families, community leaders, non-profit organizations, and higher education and cultural institutions to create more equitable learning environments for all children.

Our work focuses on creating meaningful change by helping adults develop anti-racist and culturally responsive practices. Through collaboration, we shift beliefs and approaches so that children of all backgrounds can thrive and realize their full potential.

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We believe that…

  • Race and culture matter.

    The harshest and most marginalizing effects of implicit bias in school systems fall along the lines of race. To mitigate these effects, we must examine the role of race in our own lives, in schools, in communities, and in larger systems. Our work is deepened when we explore how social identities and cultural experiences have shaped the way we interact, learn, and connect with others in order to create more equitable experiences for all.
    Two educators smiling

  • Systems change starts with self.

    Change requires careful strategic planning and management. The first step toward transformation is reflecting at an individual level on our own personal and professional practices, which paves the way for larger changes to structures and systems.
    Educators learning together during professional development

  • Strengths-based thinking is central to success.

    Our interactions with children and communities are rooted in the way we view them. We help adults to see their own capacity for growth and change as well as the possibilities for all children and families.
    Four educators reading a children's book together

  • Families and community members are partners.

    At CRE, we believe families and their cultures play a critical role in shaping the growth and development of children. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, we highlight how the connectedness of children, families, and communities as it leads to change.
    Child and parent smiling outside
Educators meet around table

Our Work in Action

Our commitment to equity is reflected in our on-the-ground work with schools, districts, and communities. Through deep partnerships, we help build inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments where all children can thrive. See examples of our work to learn how our approach is making an impact across the country.
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Supporting Communities Through Professional Learning

Learn how we support educators and leaders in developing culturally responsive practices in their settings through a community-based design process.
What Our Partners Are Saying
Bank Street has provided me with the knowledge, organizational integrity, and fire to keep myself accountable to doing equity work… I feel ready to continue to bring what I have learned with my colleagues and transform our school community.
2023 Participant
CCRE (Center on Culture, Race & Equity) Collective