Representation Matters: Diversity in Children's Literature | Shyno Chacko | TEDxUnionCity

From a very young age, children learn through the stories they hear and read. What happens when they don't see themselves in these stories? Shyno Chacko worked with children to write stories with diverse characters, then made those stories available in the library for other children to read. Shyno Chacko is the founder of “Represent Us Alll”, a social enterprise advocating diversity and inclusion in children's literature. Her company provides a venue for children of diverse backgrounds to write stories in which they can see themselves. These books are available in the Alameda County Library system.

Shyno is an Indian immigrant who grew up up in New York in the late 70's, During her childhood, she rarely saw books in which the main character was depicted as ethnically diverse, differently-abled or of various socio-economic class.

After struggling to find books that showed diverse children as a natural element of an American community, she started writing her own stories. Shyno's passion is for every child to see themselves in early childhood educational material.

Shyno is an active member of the Union City community and spends her free time volunteering at Kitayama Elementary, Cub Scouts and the community garden. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx