Charlotte Country Day School: 1440 Carmel Road Charlotte, NC 28226
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Blumenthal Multicultural Resource Center

The Blumenthal Multicultural Resource Center is dedicated to the promotion of diversity, multiculturalism, inclusion, and equity within schools in the Central Carolinas. It was established by Charlotte Country Day School in 2000 as a result of a generous gift from the Blumenthal Foundation and Family.

Programs

The Center was established to provide a variety of programs, including:

  • Professional development workshops and seminars for faculty/staff, students, and families
  • Distinguished Guest Lecture Series and open dialogues
  • Summer Institute on Diversity and Multicultural Education

Highlights

  • Award-winning author Walter Dean Myers visited with CCDS' Middle School students and 300 Charlotte-Mecklenburg School children in March 2006.
  • In February 2006, Dr. Peggy McIntosh met with administrators, faculty, and students to discuss "Achievement, Privilege, and Social Justice."
  • CCDS hosts its first annual diversity conference in July 2005 entitled "Building an Inclusive School Community" that is open to teachers and school administrators in the Southeast.
  • Celebrating the role athletics play in the lives of women and girls, in 2003 CCDS sponsored and displayed “Game Face: What Does a Female Athlete Look Like?” a unique photography exhibition touring museums nationwide. CCDS was the first school in the nation to display this special school exhibit, which depicted photographs and personal stories about girls and women in sports. In addition, author and performer Jane Curry presented a humorous monologue that incorporated historical and contemporary slides of women athletes. Athletic directors, coaches, and student-athletes from area public and private schools, as well as the community at-large attended both events.
  • CCDS hosted a community forum at the Mint Museum of Art called “Helping Our Children Thrive in Independent Schools,” which featured national motivational speaker Kwame Anku.
  • The North Carolina Association of Independent Schools (NCAIS) 2002 Statewide Diversity Conference was hosted by CCDS for over 250 participants, including 130 students and 120 faculty from 19 public and private schools. National, regional, and local speakers presented 28 workshops covering a range of diversity issues.
  • A workshop was held in 2002 for faculty from Charlotte-area independent schools on equity and inclusion. Participants were given valuable resources such as “Diversity in the Classroom: New Approaches to Education of Young Children” and “Turning on Learning: Five Approaches for Multicultural Teaching Plans.”
  • In 2002, sign language was incorporated into the Lower School curriculum. All 640 students in grades junior kindergarten through fourth grade learn to sign colors, numbers, days of the week, phrases, and more. Songs, poems, and nursery rhymes are also taught with facial expression and body language being emphasized as key components to effective communication. Sign language teaches students life skills and gives them an understanding and appreciation of hearing-impaired community members.
  • CCDS sponsored the National Council for Community and Justice’s (NCCJ’s) Peace Journeys in November of 2001 which brought students from public and private schools together to address issues of race and reconciliation.
  • In June 2001, CCDS held its first diversity and multicultural education workshop, “Facing History and Ourselves,” for more than 20 faculty members from Charlotte-area independent schools.

For additional information, e-mail the Cultural Diversity Office.