Culturally Affirming & Meaningful Assignments | 016 | From Awareness to Action
Pragmatic strategies to engage, empower, and equip students.
Sometimes one sharp insight is all we need to hold on, reset, or reengage with purpose.
Practical takeaways pulled from the Student Success Podcast, so you don’t have to listen to the whole episode (unless you want to).
Episode with Dr. Christine Harrington: Show Notes | Apple | Spotify
Faculty have heard it before: “Make your teaching more equitable.” But rarely are they given real, ready-to-implement ideas, especially when it comes to assignments. That’s why I invited Dr. Christine Harrington to the Student Success Podcast. Dr. Harrington has been professor at various Community College Leadership EdD Programs and editor of the book, Creating Culturally Affirming and Meaningful Assignments: A Practical Resource for Higher Education Faculty.
Below are six key takeaways from our conversation, paired with actions you can take now to shift from intention to impact.
1. Understand What Culturally Affirming Means
Culturally affirming assignments value students’ cultural identities and see diversity as a strength, not a deficit. As Dr. Harrington explains, they:
Acknowledge students’ backgrounds and lived experiences.
Encourage students to connect personally with the content.
Treat culture as a resource, not an obstacle.
Action Step:
Start the semester with a short survey. Ask students about their interests, identities, goals, and values. Review college and course-level demographic data to better understand who’s in your classroom.
2. Incorporate Student Choice (Guided, Not Overwhelming)
Choice is at the heart of culturally affirming assignments, but it must be structured. Students should be able to select formats or topics that resonate with them, while still meeting learning outcomes.
Action Step:
Design assignments with 2–3 clear options (e.g., infographic, podcast, paper), and include a “pitch-your-own” pathway. Keep the options manageable. Guided choice leads to better engagement and less anxiety.
3. Make Assignments Authentic and Meaningful
Too many assignments die on a professor’s desk. Dr. Harrington shared examples that instead live on, like oral histories archived in museums and policy presentations in nursing that explore cultural impact on healthcare.
Action Step:
Tie assignments to real-world applications, community issues, or future careers. Include a reflection component where students consider: “How does this connect to my life, community, or goals?”
4. Scaffold Assignments and Provide Support
Great assignments don’t just show what students learned, they help develop that learning. Scaffolding, formative feedback, and revision opportunities make the work more inclusive and affirming.
Action Step:
Break major assignments into stages. Use draft checkpoints or “assignment wrappers” to guide reflection. Be transparent with rubrics and expectations. And whenever possible, allow resubmissions.
5. Embrace Diverse Perspectives
Don’t assume diversity will “just happen” in student work. Invite it intentionally. Faculty should explicitly encourage students to engage with underrepresented voices and cultural contexts.
Action Step:
Conduct a quick “diversity audit” of your assignments:
Whose voices are centered?
What perspectives are missing?
How can prompts guide students toward more inclusive inquiry?
6. Align Assignments with Future Skills
Dr. Harrington reminded us: most students aren’t heading to a PhD program. They’re entering the workforce, and assignments should prepare them for it. That means collaborative work, concise communication, tech fluency, and reflection on transferable skills.
Action Step:
Add a “Skills You’ll Gain” section to your assignment handouts. Help students see what they’re building, and how to talk about it in interviews or on resumes. Better yet, have them create something portfolio-worthy.
Final Thought
Culturally affirming assignments aren’t “extras.” They’re essential tools for equity, engagement, and career readiness. They make learning more personal, more practical, and more powerful.
Move from awareness to action.
Make our assignments count.
Let’s connect on LinkedIn.
Onward…
Dr. Al Solano
Founder, Continuous Learning Institute | About
Host, Student Success Podcast
A meaningful test of success is how helpful we are in contributing to our fellow human being’s happiness.