Inspiration and tools to promote compassion, identity safety, and inclusive schools and communities.
Dr. Becki Cohn-Vargas is a consultant and curriculum specialist who provides professional development and expertise on topics of identity safety, culturally responsive teaching, and bullying prevention. Becki coauthored the best-selling book Identity Safe Classrooms K–5: Places to Belong and Learn. Subsequently, she coauthored Identity Safe Classrooms Grades 6–12: Pathways to Belonging and Learning and Belonging and Inclusion in Identity Safe Schools: A Guide for Educational Leaders. In addition, she has published book chapters and numerous articles. She has produced films and curriculum guides, including Our Family, A Film About Family Diversity, and the Guide to Bullying Prevention for Law Enforcement for the U.S. Department of Justice. Becki was hosted twice at the White House by President Obama’s education staff and has worked as a consultant in over 150 schools across the United States. She spent over 35 years as a Spanish bilingual teacher, principal, curriculum director, and superintendent in pre-K–12 rural, urban, and suburban school districts, where she focused on fostering educational equity.
What is Identity Safety?
Identity safe classrooms are those in which teachers strive to ensure that students’ social identities are an asset rather than a barrier to success in the classroom. Acknowledging students’ identities, rather than trying to be colorblind, can build the foundation for strong positive relationships. This, coupled with challenging opportunities to learn, can help all students begin to feel they are welcomed, supported, and valued as members of the learning community.
Coming in 2024: Identity Safe Spaces at Home and School: Partnering to Overcome Inequity. A new book coauthored with best-selling author Dr. Debbie Zacarian.
Find videos about identity safety with practical ideas for schools: Identity Safe Classrooms K-5: Places to Belong and Learn , Identity Safe Classrooms: Grades 6-12, and Belonging and Inclusion in Identity Safe Schools: A Guide for Educational Leaders here.
Visit the Identity Safe Classrooms website here.
Almost Lost: The Heinemann Legacy
Becki’s film “Almost Lost, The Heinemann Legacy” tells an amazing story of her great great grandfather, Marcus Heinemann and his 17 children in Lueneburg, Germany. The film shows a time when her great, great, grandfather was a leader in the town and suddenly all was lost with the horrors of the Nazi period. The legacy reveals itself in a unique moment of restitution, reconciliation, and healing.
Blogs For Women
Becki’s blog posts cover a range of topics that promote safety, inclusion, and acceptance for both youth and adults. She has been a Guest blogger for Edutopia, CNN, Teaching Tolerance, Not In Our Town, the National PTA, and the American Federation of Teachers. Read Becki's Blogs for Women here.
Makengue Reserve in Nicaragua
Makengue is a 190-acre private reserve owned by Becki Cohn-Vargas and Rito Vargas, located along the Pocosolito River that feeds into the San Juan River in southern Nicaragua along the border with Costa Rica. The mission of the Makengue Reserve is to conserve rainforest biodiversity through environmental research, international education, and engaging the local community. Learn more about Makengue Reserve here.