The Belonging and Trust Study

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The Belonging and Trust Study

The Belonging and Trust Study

The Belonging and Trust research study engages Latinx students, their families, and public school educators to develop and enhance curricula, policies, and practices that support experiences of belonging and trust for students and their families in public schools. The study uses qualitative, multimodal, and participatory methods of research and design to center student and family voices in the creation of culturally sustaining and caring school cultures.ÌýÌý

Central to the Belonging and Trust project is the practice ofÌýmultimodalÌýtestimonio, or the process of sharing personal narratives via multimodal resources, as a way to validate lived experiences that are often marginalized or unseen. Out of this broader project, we have developed multiple strands of work that bring multimodal storytelling into public schools and spaces by which to create culturally sustaining pedagogies and communities of belonging and trust. These additional projects includeÌýCircles de Confianza andÌýAuthoring Our Stories. Connected to this work is theÌý project, which has been an inspiration for photo testimonio and whose team members have been collaborators of our work.

This project is not currently offering programs or actively collecting research. Our PIs continue to analyze data and support schools and practitioners in implementing multimodalÌý³Ù±ð²õ³Ù¾±³¾´Ç²Ô¾±´Ç. This work was made possible by the collective contributions of this team, as well as the students, educators, and parents, and community members who participated as research participants and co-designers!

Principal Investigators (PI)

Publications & Presentations

Alvarez, A., Teeters, L. P., Penuel, W. R., & Esteban-Guitart, M. (2023). Considerations to engage a funds of identity approach as a vehicle toward epistemic justice in educational settings. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 40, 100718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2023.100718Ìý

Teeters, L. P., Shedro, M., Alvarez, A., Schultz, K., Gleason, E., Zigarelli, J. C. & Trejo, B., (2023). Circles de confianza: using multimodal testimonios to build culturally sustaining schools. Enthography and Education, 18:4, 356-375. Ìý

Teeters, L. P., Trejo, B., Gleason, E., Zigarelli, J. C., Shedro, M., Alvarez, A., & Schultz, K. (2022). Circles de confianza: Promoting the well-being of Latine Youth via Multimodal Testimonio. Journal of Latinos and Education, 1–13.  Ìý

McKimmy, C., Teeters, L. P., Alvarez, A., Pacheco, J. E., Boeldt, D., Carol, E., Robledo Yamamoto, F., Shedro, M., Zigarelli, J. C., & Dimidjian, S. (2021). Nuestra Escuela, Nuestras Voces (Our School, Our Voices): Using Photovoice to Understand and Promote Compassion in Schools. In Journal of Latinos and Education (pp. 1–17). Informa UK Limited. doi: 10.1080/15348431.2021.1979556Ìý

Alvarez, A.Ìý(Accepted).ÌýA Multilingual Multimodal Project-based Approach to Invite and Integrate Children’s Funds of Knowledge and Identity in Classroom Learning.ÌýSymposium. Early Language Learning and Multilingual Education in Early Childhood Conference. Granada, Spain.Ìý

Alvarez, A. (Accepted).ÌýFrom Theory to Praxis: Engaging Multimodality, Agency, and Imagination within Funds of Knowledge and Identity Pedagogical Approaches in U.S. Classrooms. Symposium: Principles and Praxis to Engage a Funds of Knowledge Approach for Social Justice Purposes in International Contexts. Anthropology and Education International Conference, Royal Anthropological Institute. London, UK.Ìý

Alvarez, A. (2022, December). Multimodality as a Pathway to Bilingual Learners’ Funds of Knowledge. Symposium session: Multimodal Literacies in Emergent Bilinguals: Beyond Print-Centric Practices. Literacy Research Association Annual Conference (LRA). Phoenix, AZ.Ìý          ÌýÌý

Alvarez, A.Ìý(2021, November).ÌýEthnographic Fieldwork through Experiential Knowledge and Multimodal Projects with Young Latinx Children.ÌýSymposium session: Young Children of Color as Experts: Examples from Five Ethnographic Studies with Latinx and Indigenous Communities.ÌýAmerican Anthropological Association Annual Meeting (AAA). Baltimore, MD.Ìý

Alvarez, A., Peña Teeters, L. & Shedro, M. (2021, November).ÌýMultimodal Testimonios of Trust and Distrust of Latinx Families in Schools.ÌýSymposium session:ÌýThe Power of Comunidad: Building Solidarity A Lado de Families and Communities. National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). St. Louis, Missouri.Ìý

Alvarez, A., Gleason, E., Peña Teeters, L., Shedro, M., Schultz, K. & Aranda, E. (2021, April).ÌýRelationships de Confianza: Trust and Distrust in Latinx Family-School Relationships.ÌýPaper session. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting (AERA). Virtual conference.Ìý

Padilla-Chavez, A.,ÌýAlvarez, A., Shedro, M. & Peña Teeters, L. (2022, April).ÌýThe Multimodal Testimonios of 5th Graders: Co-designing with Teachers to Integrate Experiential Knowledge. Paper session. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting (AERA). San Diego, CA.Ìý

Trejo, B., Peña Teeters, L., Zigarelli, J., Gleason, E., Shedro, M. &ÌýAlvarez, A.Ìý(2022, April).ÌýCircles de Confianza: Promoting the Well-being of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Youth via Multimodal Testimonio. Roundtable session. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting (AERA). San Diego, CA. Ìý

Ìý

Alvarez, A.Ìý(November, 2023).ÌýCultivating Equity by Affirming and Integrating Students’ Identities, Experiences, and Families in Classroom Learning. Content Area Special Interest Group Featured Presentation, Co-TESOL Fall Convention. Thornton, Colorado.Ìý

Lozano, M., Weber, M.,ÌýAlvarez, A. & Morales, I. (July, 2023).ÌýLo que permanece. Encuentro Internacional sobre Movilidad Humana. Conversatorio: Todo lo que soy va conmigo. Dirección de Derechos Humanos de la Secretaría General de Gobierno del Estado de Nuevo León. Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.Ìý

[What remains. International Meeting on Human Mobility. Symposium: Everything I am comes with me. Office for Human Rights, General Secretary of the Government of the State of Nuevo León. Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.]Ìý

Alvarez, A. (February, 2023)ÌýCultivating Equity, Trust and a Sense of Belonging between Latinx Students and Families from Immigrant Backgrounds and Schools. School of Education and Human Development. Research Presentation: Research in Bilingual Schools and Communities. University of Colorado Denver. Denver, Colorado.Ìý

ÌýAlvarez, A. (December, 2022).ÌýFortaleciendo la equidad educativa y colaboraciones entre las escuelas y familias migrantes en los Estados Unidos.ÌýConferencia Magistral.ÌýSegundo Coloquio Internacional de Migración: Movilidades desbordadas en mundos desiguales Departamento de Estudios Culturales, Demográficos y Políticos, Universidad de Guanajuato. Guanajuato, México.Ìý

Ìý[Strengthening educational equity and partnerships between schools and migrant families in the United States. Keynote. Second International Symposium on Migration: Overflowed Mobilities in Unequal Worlds. Department of Cultural, Demographic and Political Studies, University of Guanajuato, University of Guanajuato. Guanajuato, Mexico.]Ìý

Alvarez, A. (August, 2022).ÌýIssues of Trust and Distrust between Minoritized Families and Schools: How can schools and classrooms build and strengthen relationships of trust and belonging with diverse families?ÌýResearch Seminar. School of Foreign Languages, Southeast University. Nanjing, China (Virtual).Ìý

Alvarez, A.Ìý(2022, July).ÌýCultivating Equity by Valuing and Integrating Students’ Identities, Experiences and Families in Classroom Learning. Equity Speaker Series, MANAUS and TACAW. Basalt, Colorado. ÌýÌý

Alvarez, A. (2022, April).ÌýEmpowering BIPOC students' voices in the classroom: Preventing the erasure of students’ differing identities, histories and current realities. Symposium panel with Nancy Commins, Rebecca Linares and Kara Viesca. Conference on World Affairs. Boulder, CO.Ìý

Alvarez, A.Ìý(October, 2021).ÌýEnlazando Fondos de Conocimiento a Fondos de Identidad a través de Proyectos Bilingües y Multimodales. Presentación del Monográfico "Fondos de Conocimiento para la Justicia Social."ÌýRevista Internacional de Educación para la Justicia Social y la Cátedra UNESCO en Educación para la Justicia social de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Madrid, Spain (Virtual).Ìý

Lozano, M., Weber, M., Morales, I. &ÌýAlvarez, A.Ìý(January, 2024).ÌýWhat Remains Workshop January 24 & 25. Arts Everywhere & Bloody Sunday Trust: One World One Struggle. Garden of Reflection Gallery. Derry, Northern Ireland, UK.Ìý

Alvarez, A. (July, 2023).ÌýLo que permanece: Relatos de niñas y niños migrantes. Encuentro Internacional sobre Movilidad Humana. Dirección de Derechos Humanos de la Secretaría General de Gobierno del Estado de Nuevo León. Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.

[What remains: Authoring our Stories with Children from Immigrant Backgrounds. International Meeting on Human Mobility. Office for Human Rights, Secretary of the Government of the State of Nuevo León. Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.]Ìý

Alvarez, A. (March, 2023). Migrant Shelter Reading and Book-making Workshop. Abara, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México.Ìý

Alvarez, A.Ìý(February, 2022).ÌýCultivating Trust and Belonging with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students and Families through Creative and Meaningful Projects. ECHO Series, Center for Rural School Health and Education. Morgridge College of Education, University of Denver

Alvarez, A. (2023). Multimodal Pedagogical Approaches to Center the Funds of Knowledge and Identity of Latinx/e Children from Immigrant Backgrounds in U.S. Classroom Settings. In Esteban-Guitart, M. (Ed.),ÌýFunds of Knowledge and Identity Pedagogies for Social Justice: International Perspectives and Praxis from Communities, Classrooms, and CurriculumÌý(pp.165-179). Routledge.Ìý

Alvarez, A. (2022). Multimodality as a Pathway to Bilingual Learners’ Funds of Knowledge. In L. Hao & S. Brown (Eds.),ÌýMultimodal Literacies in Young Emergent Bilinguals: Speaking Back to Print-Centric PracticesÌý(pp. 147-159).ÌýMultilingual Matters.Ìý

Lozano, M., Morales, I., Weber, M. &ÌýAlvarez, A. (UpcomingÌýMay, 2024). What Remains. Arts Everywhere Festival. Guelph, Canada.Ìý

Lozano, M., Weber, M.ÌýAlvarez, A. & Morales, I. (July, 2023).ÌýLo que permanece. Encuentro Internacional sobre Movilidad Humana. Dirección de Derechos Humanos de la Secretaría General de Gobierno del Estado de Nuevo León. Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.Ìý

[What remains.ÌýInternational Meeting on Human Mobility. Office for Human Rights, Secretary of the Government of the State of Nuevo León. Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.]Ìý

Lozano, M.,ÌýAlvarez, A., Morales, I. & Weber, M. (January, 2023).ÌýWhat Remains.ÌýArts Everywhere & Bloody Sunday Trust: One World One Struggle. Garden of Reflection Gallery. Derry, Northern Ireland, UK.Ìý