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Culturally Sustaining and Inclusive Teaching Framework

The Culturally Sustaining and Inclusive Teaching Framework was developed in collaboration with a team of Evergreen faculty to articulate Evergreen’s approach to inclusive and culturally sustaining teaching and learning. The guiding principles are based on a review of the literature surrounding inclusive and culturally sustaining teaching and the recommended practices were developed with the Evergreen context in mind.

Principle I. Engage in ongoing professional development rooted in inclusive and culturally sustaining teaching

  • Foster an inclusive and culturally sustaining classroom by developing self awareness about your own professional and social identity
  • Develop an understanding of how diverse individuals engage in collaborative environments

Principle II. Create an inclusive, supportive, and culturally sustaining learning environment

  • Create a learning environment that is inclusive of diverse populations
  • Cultivate belonging in the classroom
  • Respond when instances of harm have occurred inside or outside of the classroom
  • Develop and reinforce classroom community agreements
  • Foster positive peer relationships
  • Nurture positive relationships with students
  • Foster student services connections in the classroom

Principle III. Use inclusive and culturally sustaining teaching strategies

  • Understand how students learn and engage in the classroom
  • Design accessible and equity-minded programs or courses that are relevant to students and promote critical thinking
  • Use evidence-based teaching practices found to be effective with diverse learners that help students integrate key concepts into life contexts
  • Employ a variety of assessments to uncover students’ learning needs and use feedback to improve teaching and learning in the classroom
  • Ensure your program or course content reflects a diverse society and world
  • Ensure course documents and media are accessible
  • Ensure your syllabus sets the tone for diversity and inclusion

Resources for Continued Learning

The below list of resources were used to guide the creation of the framework and to offer readers a place to dive deeper into this important topic.