Diversity. Encouragement of diversityrefers to the ability of educators to appreciate, affirm, and engage the various cultural heritages, unique endowments, learning styles, interests, and needs of learners. An important goal of the UNT programs is to provide candidates with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to help all students, including white and mainstream students, to function effectively in an increasingly diverse U.S. society.

Future citizens will need to develop cross-cultural competence that bridges our national boundaries and to appreciate that the earth’s people are highly interconnected (Banks; Becker). Major concepts that underlie appreciation for diversity include (a) understanding the impact of culture on values, self-awareness, and biases; (b) meaningful interactions with diverse groups; (c) pedagogical strategies appropriate for various learning styles and abilities; and (d) pedagogical strategies that encourage meaningful interactions and reduce prejudice and stereotypes.