Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorena & Roberto Germán
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Multicultural Classroom officially began in 2014, but had been growing in us for years prior. It comes out of struggle and more importantly, a desire to bring about positive social impact. We know there are deep-seeded problems in education and schools. We experienced them ourselves, and we know our friends and family have as well. We use our gifts and knowledge to develop solutions to address those issues. We focus on the issues that have to do with the heart, the mind, and the (un)learning adults and kids alike need to do. This work they all engage in with our help, pushes them to see classrooms as a place where community and authentic learning can occur.
We began as a 2 person team dreaming. We quickly saw that the work was plenty and that our dreams were real; they were achievable. We expanded and added some support to our team and started working directly with teachers. We then were contacted by schools and organizations, especially after we published our books. We’ve continued working hard and building relationships. Our impact speaks for itself. We’ve worked with schools and organizations in most states in the United States, and in other countries. We have sold over 20,000 books and have over 30,000 social media followers.
Here is a link that can also speak to it: https://www.multiculturalclassroom.com/site/our-story
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The conversations we engage others in are important, yet challenging, and this makes our work a struggle. We have barriers we need to tackle all the time, but the worst has come in the face of this current political context since 2020. With the rise in legislation and social pressure to stay away from conversations about truth, history, and racism, we find ourselves having to find new ways to connect with future partners. We’ve had to support people in alternate ways in order to not create conflict for them. People reach out, but we sometimes have to coordinate how to partner in ways that will keep them safe. Instead of our government wanting truth to be taught and for educators to be culturally competent so that all students can be reached, they are creating conditions that make our work harder; in other words, they are standing in the way of humanizing education.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Through our business, schools and organizations work to emphasize and develop an equitable practice. We do this by offering professional development, pre-designed materials, keynotes and speaking events, or consulting. Our work lives at the intersection of education, race, and justice. We believe that education which humanizes the classroom space can move us toward justice. While other consultants or educational organizations share some of these values, we have the years of classroom practice to evidence our work and we have national recognition and awards for our leadership in the field. When it comes to Multicultural Classroom, we are proud that people know us for love, integrity, and effectiveness. We care about our partners and we work with them to meet their needs.
How do you think about luck?
We don’t believe that luck has helped us. We have worked hard for what we’ve achieved and we have faith. We know what it’s like to be a team, dedicate yourself to a task, complete the work, trust your team, dream and create even when you’re tired, plan and strategize for success and so much more. Roberto is the son of Dominican immigrants and they modeled for him what it was to work hard and be dedicated to chasing success. Lorena is an immigrant herself and she has spent time defeating obstacles and defying expectations. Together, they co-lead Multicultural Classroom and plan on taking it to great heights, revolutionizing the way we teach and learn.
Pricing:
- While we have some packages, we often discuss pricing with specific clients because our work is tailored to their specific needs
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.multiculturalclassroom.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/multiculturalclassroom/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/multiculturalclassrm
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@multiculturalclassroom
Image Credits
n/a
