Do you know where your children are? It used to be, parents had to be concerned about the physical locations of their kiddos in order to keep them safe and in a healthy environment. With today’s generation of students however, they can be sitting right next to you and be anywhere in the world; growing up surrounded by screens, constant media, and instant communication through smartphones, tablets and other devices. Their communities are virtual; their lives are mobile; their priorities are global. Cultural literacy is vital if we are to minister effectively in this complicated culture. Teachers and parents must be able to think clearly about cultural issues and understand how our youths’ worldviews and identities are formed by what’s showing on their screens.
On Friday March 16, VCS hosted a regional professional development training event sponsored by ACSI and presented by Axis Ministries called ENGAGE: A Framework for Cultural Literacy to address the need for more awareness. This event was designed to equip adults with a framework for thinking biblically about culture – and ministering to students immersed in it. The Faculty and Administrative Staff at VCS, along with other area Christian school teachers and leaders from as far away as Tri-cities and Montana, attended the event.
At VCS, one of our strategic missions is to help foster an increased spiritual maturity in our student body, staff and larger school community. The information gained at this event will assist us in doing so.
Topics covered include:
- Why Cultural Literacy Matters: Bridging the generational gap between teachers and students
- The Biblical Imperative: Developing a missional posture toward your students
- The Audience: Who is Gen Z? How do they learn? What makes Gen Z different from Millennials?
- The Framework: How to Translate Culture and Connect with your Students – Five steps toward cultural literacy and culture translation
- Literacy Lab: Becoming a Culture Translator – Putting the Framework to Work
We look forward to hosting similar events in the future and inviting our school families to attend.
