A session in which the presenter(s) were invited; all attendees are welcome to attend.

Papers listed below are included in this session.

Chair and Discussant: Sharon M. Ballard, Ph.D., CFLE, East Carolina University

This session is Organized by the Education and Enrichment Section

Summary
Family Life Educators must be cognizant of the unique challenges and opportunities that arise from developing and implementing programs for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). This symposium specifically addresses practices with Black, Indigenous, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander families.  The first paper of the symposium will provide a brief overview of the Framework for Best Practices in Family Life Education which includes four components (program participants, program content, program design and delivery, and the Family Life Educator) surrounded by an outer circle representing cultural contexts and the organization setting and support. A culturally competent approach to Family Life Education includes attention to all framework components rooted in the cultural knowledge and values of the population with whom they are working, allowing Family Life Educators to address the organizational and systemic inequities faced by the communities they serve. In addition to the introduction to the Framework for Best Practices in Family Life Education, this symposium is comprised of three papers that address culturally competent Family Life Education practices specific for Black Families, Indigenous Families, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Families.

Objectives

• To demonstrate a comprehensive model of Family Life Education programming practices
• To analyze best practices in working with Indigenous, Pacific Islander, and Black Families
• To provide implications for culturally competent family life education practices