Who We Are

The Culture C.O-.O.P promotes systemic change, inclusion, equity, cultural competency, diversity, literacy, and quality education for all.

Mission Statement:

We accomplish our mission through a holistic approach, involving key partners who engage regularly with youth/adults, communities, organizations, businesses, and institutions. Our approach is holistic, culturally relevant, and intergenerational. We use approaches and tools that are research-based, comprehensive, and based on over 35 years of experience in the field while also incorporating the arts. Through serving people of all ages and backgrounds, we seek to create new paradigms for how people view and engage with one another. Our paradigm for transforming individuals, communities, systems, and beyond is an essential part of our work.

Meet The Director

**Sandy Holman** has presented to thousands of youth, adults, organizations, and institutions on a variety of topics such as the following: transforming systems - inequitable structures - dismantling racism/supremacy ideology and practices - the achievement gap - P-16 education, literacy - resiliency - addressing the whole child - and institutional best practices for change. She has placed special attention on the importance of culturally relevant and responsive services and materials, as well as on increasing cultural competency in educational and service-oriented settings. Her priority is facilitating systemic change and approaching historic isms, oppression, supremacy ideology, injustice and inequity from a systemic and holistic perspective.

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What We Do

We provide a paradigm for transforming individuals’ communities, systems, and beyond, as well as culturally relevant and responsive services. These include equity/inclusion seminars, keynotes, customized presentations, author visits, and cultural experiences and events on a variety of topics for educators, youth, families, and community/business and organizations. You can request a particular service that fits your needs for a specific event or explore a more comprehensive approach that increases the chances of systemic change and impacts overall success. We especially recommend the latter approach.

Our Approaches

The Culture C.O.-O.P.'s comprehensive approach is based on four age-appropriate strands of engagement that revolve around an organization, school, or community setting. Youth, parents, educators, and the community fully engage in all four strands. Students in the age group “pre-kindergarten to 2nd grade” are exposed to introductory concepts designed to prepare them for future engagement.

Older students who are capable of understanding more complex concepts learn about larger issues and how they can do their part to change their community and themselves for the better. The involvement of organizations, businesses, parents, educators, the community, and youth instills a shared framework of interaction and lays a foundation for change and sustainability.

This systemic approach to all ages and parts of the community ensures that marginalized populations and those who serve them are empowered to become future leaders and promote systemic change. Our paradigm for transforming individuals, communities, systems, and beyond is a critical part of this process.