Embracing Diversity: Sharing Our Songs and Rhymes is a public education project that encourages learning about cultural diversity and promotes inclusiveness. The project invites Burnaby and New Westminster, and other communities, to explore their diversity and share across cultures through children's songs and rhymes. It was created to help build neighbourhoods where everyone, regardless of where they are from, is better understood and respected and has a greater sense of belonging.
Embracing Diversity resources are designed for use by community workers who serve children and families, by families themselves, and by all who endeavour to create welcoming and inclusive communities. All project resources are presented online and include:
- Videos of children's songs or rhymes in 15 languages (two per language), performed by native speakers
- Video interviews with the performers
- Transcripts and translations of the lyrics or words
- Lists of books and other library materials with cultural stories or information about countries where these languages are spoken
- Thematic ideas for programs that feature the songs and rhymes
- Videos of five welcoming phrases in each of the 15 languages
- Lists of books and other library materials about cross-cultural understanding, raising bilingual children and the importance of maintaining first languages
The project languages are Arabic, Cantonese, Dari, English, Farsi, Filipino, French, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese and Urdu. They were selected because they are spoken in significant numbers in Burnaby and New Westminster, or are spoken by groups that are new to or have shown recent growth in these communities. The selection includes Canada's two official languages to help welcome or orient newcomers to Canada.
Acknowledgments
- This Burnaby Intercultural Planning Table (BIPT) project was produced by Burnaby Public Library.
- Videography and video hosting by the SFU Teaching and Learning Centre.
- Translations by MOSAIC.
Awards
- 2012 Award of Excellence for Cultural Heritage and Diversity: awarded by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, BC Representative for Children and Youth
- 2013 Merit Award, Programs & Services, British Columbia Library Association
For more information about the project, please contact juvcoordinator@bpl.bc.ca.
This project is made possible through funding from the
Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.