Sexism in the United States has historically been linked to the experiences of women and girls and its effects include gendered stereotypes, tropes, and/or pre-defined roles, as well as historically lower pay, a lack of access to equal education or adequate healthcare, and underrepresentation in our political system. While these conversations can be complex—and often we don’t know where to begin—we believe beginning with our littlest ones can have the most long-term impact, both individually and as a society. We hope you will find the resources below helpful in finding a good jumping off point when it comes to talking to children about what it means to be a woman in America, celebrating their influence, experiences, contributions, leadership, and accomplishments. 

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Children are not born colorblind. We know that babies notice physical differences, from skin color to eye shape and hair texture. That is why we believe being able to talk about people’s differences with your children is so important. We also understand these conversations can be complex, and often we don’t know where to begin. We hope this unique set of resources provides you with language and parenting strategies to talk with your child about race and racism, in particular when it comes to the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander experience.

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WILL-TV, in collaboration with PBS KIDS, presents our first annual Early Childhood Champions Awards! Nominate a talented champion who works with young children in central Illinois by April 9, 2021.

One identity that is often left out of the social justice conversation—and sometimes within the social justice movements themselves—are those with varying degrees of mental, emotional, and physical abilities. This is known as ableism. Ableism is the discrimination of and social prejudice against people with perceived “disabilities” based on the belief that typical abilities are superior. These conversations can be complex, and often we don’t know where to begin; but we believe by beginning with our littlest ones, we can have the most long-term impact, both individually and as a society. The resources below are meant to help find a good jumping off point when it comes to talking to children about the experiences of those with various abilities. Click here to return to the main page.

It is our hope that space will help people of all sexual orientations and gender identities can gain a more unbiased and thorough understanding of the LGBTQ+ community, while also learning how to promote acceptance. These conversations can be complex, and often we don’t know where to begin; but we believe by beginning with our littlest ones, we can have the most long-term impact, both individually and as a society. The resources below are meant to help find a good jumping off point when it comes to talking to children about identifying on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, and what it means to be an ally. Click here to return to the main page.