Accelerating Racial Justice 2012!

We did it!  RAPP successfully premiered a new intensive: Accelerating Racial Justice!

Sixteen UC students participated in the inaugural run, diving wholeheartedly into the challenges of racial justice and inclusive leadership.  Nine students and staff led the experience as ARJ staff.

Check us out below!

Our official group photo for the RAPP Office.  We're excited to be displayed as the first in what will hopefully soon grow into a wall of ARJ photos!

Participants spent sessions in a variety of groupings:  solo work, pair work, trios, small groups, half groups, racial groupings, and the large group.  Each day, people also spent time with their Small Group - 6-7 people with whom they built intentional relationship as well as worked with to give feedback on the day.  Each group was facilitated by a Peer Leader.

Jalisa's Small Group: Peggy Shannon-Baker, Kara Mate, Maesa Idries, Taylor Turnbull, Brian Barney, and Jalisa Holifield

Laura's Small Group: Sally Amkoa, Greg Gamble, Naila Merchant, Ryan Fox, Vicky Nguyen, Laura Perez, and Ben Kitchen

Matt's Small Group: Kate Khazanova, Jazmyn Battie, Kenzie Austin, Kenny Day, Matt Miller, and Amanda Pancioli

ARJ 2012 Staff: Rebecca Lehman, Laura Perez, Jalisa Holifield, Melissa Meyer, Ani Naik, Jojo Azevedo, Matthew Woodruff, Matt Miller, and Shyamal Ruparel

Many thanks to the outstanding, creative, and hard-working committee of folks who helped make ARJ a possibility!

RAPP Blog on Hiatus for Accelerating Racial Justice

The RAPP Office has been abuzz with the excitement of preparing for a new intensive!

Over the past half-year, an amazing team of leaders from throughout campus and the RAPP community have worked together to build this new five-day retreat where students will focus on racial justice and inclusive leadership.  

This has been a fast-paced process and we're nearly to the point of the pilot run with 18 UC students.  Due to the intensity of preparing for the first run, the RAPP blog will continue to have few, if any, posts until the pilot is complete.  Any posts that do come up will be focused on ARJ!

Keep us all in your thoughts as we prepare for this thrilling week!

Accelerating Racial Justice Update - Applications Still Being Accepted!

RAPP's newest intensive Accelerating Racial Justice is coming along swimmingly!  Creating a new itensive of this scale is a time-intensive process, but thankfully great support from throughout UC and beyond has helped it grow and be ready to premier this summer!
Enough applications were received by the initial deadline for us to declare the program ready to launch!

The first round of participants has been selected and notified!  The process leaders for the week have been selected and notified!

There are still a few spots left in the 2012 program and we're hoping to build a small waiting list to fill in any spots that open late in the summer.  With that in mind, we're now accepting applications through the end of June!

How to ApplyThere are two steps to apply for this life-changing program:

1. Read the Information for Potential Applicants. This piece is designed to cover the common questions people may have about Accelerating Racial Justice to help you decide if it's what you're looking for.
2. Complete a written application. This application gathers basic information from candidates. Information on how to access the application is available in the Information for Potential Applicants, which you are expected to read before completing a written application.

Please contact Rebecca Lehman at lehmanrl@uc.edu or 513.556.6119 with any questions you may have.

Welcome the RAPP 2012-13 Leadership!

This year's selection of the formal RAPP leadership positions was the most difficult process I've been through yet.  We had twenty-three outstanding candidates for an intended ten positions.

Much gratitude is due to the folks who helped made the selections!  A team of staff and students from RAPP, SALD, Resident Education & Development, Academic Excellence & Support Services, and the LGBTQ Center carefully reviewed applications and worked together to make the final decisions.

Without further ado, here are the folks selected for the formal leadership positions:

Accelerating Racial Justice

• Facilitators:
• Ani Naik (XXVI, XXVI Social Committee Chair)
• Jojo Azevedo (XXIV, XXVI Peer Leader, XXVII Facilitator, Social Justice League 2010-12)
• Peer Leaders:
• Jalisa Holifield (XXVII)
• Laura Perez (XXVII)
• Matt Miller (XXVI, Social Justice League 2011-12)
• Process Observers:
• Matthew Woodruff (XXVI, Peer Leader XXVII, Social Justice League 2011-12)
• Melissa Meyer (Community member, owner Meyer Consulting)

RAPP XXVIII

• RAPP Facilitation Intern:  Brice Mickey (XXV, XXVI Peer Leader, Social Justice League 2010-12)
• Peer Leaders:
• Farooq Alkhateeb (XXVII)
• Krisin Myers-Young (XXV)
• Tianshu Lu (XXVI)

RAPPORT 2012-13

• RAPPORT Facilitation Intern: Jamieson Williams (XXVII)

Please extend congratulations and heart-felt wishes for success to these folks as they enter into their new positions!

Check out Accelerating Racial Justice One More Time - Applications due Today!

This spring quarter, RAPP hosted a marketing intern through CCM's Electronic Media department.  As a part of her internship, Darienne Jordan (XXVII) made two videos about RAPP. 


The first came out two weeks ago.  The second dropped yesterday and focuses on the upcoming Accelerating Racial Justice.


We experienced some audio difficulties, so be sure to click CC for closed captions if you have trouble understanding what people are saying.





Apply now for Accelerating Racial Justice!  Applications are due today, June 15!

How to ApplyThere are two steps to apply for this life-changing program:

1. Read the Information for Potential Applicants.  This piece is designed to cover the common questions people may have about Accelerating Racial Justice to help you decide if it's what you're looking for.
2. Complete a written application.  This application gathers basic information from candidates.  Information on how to access the application is available in the Information for Potential Applicants, which you are expected to read before completing a written application.

Please contact Rebecca Lehman at lehmanrl@uc.edu or 513.556.6119 with any questions you may have.

Apply for Accelerating Racial Justice - The Best Reason Yet

Seriously, though.  Why not?

Apply today for Accelerating Racial Justice!  Applications due TODAY, Friday, June 15.

How to ApplyThere are two steps to apply for this life-changing program:

1. Read the Information for Potential Applicants.  This piece is designed to cover the common questions people may have about Accelerating Racial Justice to help you decide if it's what you're looking for.
2. Complete a written application.  This application gathers basic information from candidates.  Information on how to access the application is available in the Information for Potential Applicants, which you are expected to read before completing a written application.

Please contact Rebecca Lehman at lehmanrl@uc.edu or 513.556.6119 with any questions you may have.

Apply for Accelerating Racial Justice - Talk about the "Unmentionables"

Along with our nine-month intensive and our alumni program RAPPORT with its Social Justice League, RAPP staff and volunteers lead an average of 50 workshops and trainings each year in the campus and community.


Through all of this, we hear a very common refrain:  I've never gotten to talk about this before - and I want to!


Even those who talk about race, gender, sexuality, religious/spiritual identity, and other social identities share the tune with a slight variation:  I've never gotten to talk about this with people who are different from me before!


Many of us experience a life-time of lessons that these topics are not a part of polite conversation.  Many of us experience a life-time of lessons that we're not supposed to even notice these identities.  Unsurprisingly, this leaves us with a great set of skills in NOT talking about them and very little experience or practice actually talking about them.


When we do try, some common experiences that remind us yet again we shouldn't be having these conversations come up.  We fumble our words and fail to express what we mean because we're focusing so hard on not being offensive.  We're shut down by others who want to keep these topics off the table.  We ignite anger and conflict ensues.  We're not able to ask foundational questions because we're too afraid of being exposed as ignorant.


A key to success in these conversations is getting support in them from folks who have some practice and can help shift the space from fear of the complexity that these topics entail to appreciation of that messiness.


Accelerating Racial Justice will give you that support!  For five days, you get to learn and teach others about racial justice and inclusive leadership as well as your life experiences.  You get to ask questions.  You get to be celebrated for sharing when you don't know.  You get to build a community that will keep these conversations going.


Apply now for Accelerating Racial Justice!  Applications are due by 5PM on Friday, June 15.

A small group conversation at a RAPP meeting.  RAPP integrates solo-reflection, pairs, trios, small group, and large group time into our learning process.

How to ApplyThere are two steps to apply for this life-changing program:

1. Read the Information for Potential Applicants.  This piece is designed to cover the common questions people may have about Accelerating Racial Justice to help you decide if it's what you're looking for.
2. Complete a written application.  This application gathers basic information from candidates.  Information on how to access the application is available in the Information for Potential Applicants, which you are expected to read before completing a written application.

Please contact Rebecca Lehman at lehmanrl@uc.edu or 513.556.6119 with any questions you may have.

Apply for Accelerating Racial Justice - Learn About Yourself by Learning About Others

I took English class all through school.  We learned to diagram sentences.  We learned contractions and spelling.  We learned homonyms (including the famous your-you're and there-their-they're that befuddle many).  Given that I spoke, wrote, heard, read, and dreamt in English, I thought I understood it as best as anyone could.

Then I started learning another language.

An experience I had that I've heard many other later-in-life-second-language-learners also share is that my understanding of my own language was exponentially expanded as I learned other languages.  The differences between the two brought out deep nuances in meaning, exposed cultural assumptions, revealed understanding of time, and so many other aspects of understanding the world that my appreciation of my first language was deeply enriched.

Working in multicultural and social justice education, I find people often experience a similar process when learning about social identity.

White folks lamenting not having a culture often experience a profound shift in understanding when they spend time working on race.  Straight folks wondering "where's our pride month?" often have a transformed understanding after spending time working on sexuality and sexual orientation.  And it goes on and on.


Whatever your identities are, spending a week immersed in Accelerating Racial Justice will help you learn about yourself.  

Sure, you'll learn about others and you'll build knowledge and skills.  But, don't be afraid to sign up just for the "selfish" reason of simply getting to know yourself and what you hope to do better.

Apply now for Accelerating Racial Justice!  Applications due by 5PM on Friday, June 15th.

RAPP XXVII Peer Leader and XXIV alumna Mieshia Barnes thinking things through at at RAPP retreat at Grailville (where Accelerating Racial Justice will be held).

How to ApplyThere are two steps to apply for this life-changing program:

1. Read the Information for Potential Applicants.  This piece is designed to cover the common questions people may have about Accelerating Racial Justice to help you decide if it's what you're looking for.
2. Complete a written application.  This application gathers basic information from candidates.  Information on how to access the application is available in the Information for Potential Applicants, which you are expected to read before completing a written application.

Please contact Rebecca Lehman at lehmanrl@uc.edu or 513.556.6119 with any questions you may have.

Apply for Accelerating Racial Justice - What Better Way to Kick Off 2012-13?!

August is the start of a new school year!  From childhood to now, to me that has meant a new class schedule, new instructors, new classmates (with some familiar thrown in).  More important for me, it has also meant a new start - a chance to try new things.

If a new school year has meant any of these things to you, hopefully you also share that it's a chance to try new things.  Why not try a new thing with RAPP:  Accelerating Racial Justice!


Accelerating Racial Justice is RAPP's newest intensive.  Through it, you spend five days and four nights building community while enhancing your knowledge and skills in racial justice and inclusive leadership.

If becoming a better leader is any part of your new school year, join us for Accelerating Racial Justice!

If knowing more about yourself is any part of your new school year, join us for Accelerating Racial Justice!

If knowing more about your community - both on campus and writ large -is any part of your new school year, join us for Accelerating Racial Justice!

If having a week to recharge sounds like a good way to start a new school year, join us for Accelerating Racial Justice!

If making new friends is any part of your new school year, join us for Accelerating Racial Justice!

Apply today for Accelerating Racial Justice!  Applications are due by 5PM on Friday, June 15th.

Start your year before Welcome Weekend (full of fun events like this one, the Asian Student Welcome) - join us for Accelerating Racial Justice!

How to ApplyThere are two steps to apply for this life-changing program:

1. Read the Information for Potential Applicants.  This piece is designed to cover the common questions people may have about Accelerating Racial Justice to help you decide if it's what you're looking for.
2. Complete a written application.  This application gathers basic information from candidates.  Information on how to access the application is available in the Information for Potential Applicants, which you are expected to read before completing a written application.

Please contact Rebecca Lehman at lehmanrl@uc.edu or 513.556.6119 with any questions you may have.

Apply for Accelerating Racial Justice - Because You Can't Do RAPP's the Nine-Month

Throughout our twenty-six years at UC, RAPP's main program has been our academic year-long program.  In budgetary lean times, it's the core we keep alive.  It's arguably the origin of intergroup dialogue.  It's dynamic and ever evolving, ever improving.
It's also inaccessible to lots of students.


Under semesters, this will be even more so an issue.  Previously, we were relatively easily able to accommodate folks who co-oped or interned out-of-town for a quarter.  Now that they'd be out for half the year instead of a third, we're much less able to do this.


This year, we're moving back to having one group of 35 that meets throughout the year instead of two groups (which RAPP has had for the last four years and a total of six of our twenty-six years).  This means there's only one night for meetings:  Wednesday.

So, if you co-op/intern out of the city and/or are busy on Wednesdays, the nine-month program is not an option for you.

Don't worry - because Accelerating Racial Justice hopefully IS an option for you!

Accelerating Racial Justice is RAPP's new five-day, four-night intensive.  For a week, you'll build community while enhancing your knowledge and skills around racial justice and inclusive leadership.

The intensive runs Monday, August 13th to Friday, August 17th.  Transportation to and from the retreat as well as meals, lodging, and supplies are provided at no charge to participants.  The only cost to you is your time!

Apply now for Accelerating Racial Justice!  Applications are due by 5PM on Friday, June 15th!

Not available for a year-long program? No problem!  Spend a free week with us at Grailville Retreat Center through Accelerating Racial Justice!

How to ApplyThere are two steps to apply for this life-changing program:

1. Read the Information for Potential Applicants.  This piece is designed to cover the common questions people may have about Accelerating Racial Justice to help you decide if it's what you're looking for.
2. Complete a written application.  This application gathers basic information from candidates.  Information on how to access the application is available in the Information for Potential Applicants, which you are expected to read before completing a written application.

Please contact Rebecca Lehman at lehmanrl@uc.edu or 513.556.6119 with any questions you may have.

Apply for Accelerating Racial Justice - Focus Your Leadership Trajectory

As described before, RAPP's intensives help students expand their leadership skills and knowledge as well as provide time for reflection.  Combine that with a growing community, and you've got a great mix that often leads to a profound result:  A newly (or more clearly) defined path of where you want to go.

In RAPP we emphasize a multiplicity of meanings to everything.  While that can be frustrating at times to deal with, it also means that you'll be supported in whichever path you want to take your leadership.  You'll make connections to make your journey more successful (in whichever way you define success - which we'll encourage you to explore!).

So, participating in RAPP's 5-day summer intensive Accelerating Racial Justice will help you with your leadership journey in this way.  It also opens doors to leadership opportunities within RAPP.

By completing the 5-day you are considered a part of the RAPPORT community, just like students who complete RAPP's 9-month.  You can then join the Social Justice League and earn a certificate as a RAPP Social Justice Peer Educator.  You can be a Peer Leader, a Facilitator, an Intern.  You can be on the committees that make major changes to RAPP, like the working group that created the 5-day itself.

So, apply now for Accelerating Racial Justice!  Applications are due this Friday, June 15th, by 5PM.

Rachel Berman (RAPP XXV, XXVI Peer Leader, WGSS Intern, working group) being recognized with the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences Spirit of Community award - just one of a dozen or so awards she's received recognizing her leadership and activism at UC!

Lane Hart (XXV) is the current undergraduate student body president - he often cites RAPP as a pivotal part of his leadership development at UC!

Jamieson Williams (XXVII) & Laura Perez (XXVII) being recognized with the Terence L Jones Diversity Award for their leadership within their respective RAPP groups.  Jamieson was selected to represent campus leaders in the 2012-13 Activus and Laura was recently accepted into a competitive MSW program!

How to ApplyThere are two steps to apply for this life-changing program:

1. Read the Information for Potential Applicants.  This piece is designed to cover the common questions people may have about Accelerating Racial Justice to help you decide if it's what you're looking for.
2. Complete a written application.  This application gathers basic information from candidates.  Information on how to access the application is available in the Information for Potential Applicants, which you are expected to read before completing a written application.

Please contact Rebecca Lehman at lehmanrl@uc.edu or 513.556.6119 with any questions you may have.

Apply for Accelerating Racial Justice - Make Friends!

RAPP leaders work not only with our own programs (the 9-month intensive, RAPPORT, and the 5-day Accelerating Racial Justice), but work with the larger campus community through workshops.  Through this, we interact with over 1,500 people a year.


A common refrain we hear when working with groups is that we deepen their relationships through talking about "unmentionables."  Critical concepts like race and justice are oft on people's minds, but many of us find ourselves in spaces where we can't talk about them or feel safe talking about them.


By participating in Accelerating Racial Justice, you'll build friendships through meaningful connections in several ways:

• You'll meet 25 other Bearcats who are also interested in building their skills & knowledge around racial justice and inclusive leadership - a great commonality for first connections!
• You'll be supported by an experienced team through the usually challenging process of having meaningful conversations about personal experiences around race and exclusion with people of different races - a meaningful experience building a lasting connection!   The Accelerating Racial Justice process includes components on maintaining your connections after the five days are over.
• You'll build your own practice at having these conversations as well as leave with a group of new friends who have shared the experience - key skills and connections you'll take home with you!

Folks who participate in Accelerating Racial Justice are welcomed into the RAPP community, which I like to describe as hundreds strong and decades long (around 800 people have completed a RAPP intensive and we've been around for 26 years).  


Apply for Accelerating Racial Justice today!  Applications are due by 5PM on Friday, June 15th.

Building friends through RAPP is both challenging and FUN!

How to ApplyThere are two steps to apply for this life-changing program:

1. Read the Information for Potential Applicants.  This piece is designed to cover the common questions people may have about Accelerating Racial Justice to help you decide if it's what you're looking for.
   
2. Complete a written application.  This application gathers basic information from candidates.  Information on how to access the application is available in the Information for Potential Applicants, which you are expected to read before completing a written application.

Please contact Rebecca Lehman at lehmanrl@uc.edu or 513.556.6119 with any questions you may have.

Apply for Accelerating Racial Justice - Take a Free "Learning Vacation"

Students' lives are busy ones!  You work tirelessly to build harmony between a lot of competing priorities, such as classes & classwork, work-work, families, friends, hobbies, and more.  Taking a moment to stop in the go!-go!-go! life and reflect on that life is a rare luxury.

Accelerating Racial Justice invites you to take time this August 13-17 to stop, breathe, and reflect on yourself as a student leader and person.

We take participants to the beautiful Grailville Retreat Center in Loveland, OH, and house & feed you while there.

The RAPP mission is fighting oppression through individual awareness and collective action.  We lead you through activities that enhance your knowledge and skills around racial justice and inclusive leadership.  You learn and teach with a group of 25 other UC students, building a supportive and meaningful community.  You are given the time to focus on yourself - your whole self as a person, community member, leader, and learner.

This program is FREE for all UC students - graduate and undergraduate, all majors, all colleges, all campuses.  The only cost to you is your time.

Apply today for this free learning vacation!  Applications are due by 5PM this Friday, June 15th.

How to ApplyThere are two steps to apply for this life-changing program:

1. Read the Information for Potential Applicants.  This piece is designed to cover the common questions people may have about Accelerating Racial Justice to help you decide if it's what you're looking for.
2. Complete a written application.  This application gathers basic information from candidates.  Information on how to access the application is available in the Information for Potential Applicants, which you are expected to read before completing a written application.

Please contact Rebecca Lehman at lehmanrl@uc.edu or 513.556.6119 with any questions you may have.

Apply for Accelerating Racial Justice - Enhance your Leadership through Inclusive Leadership

RAPP is a programming area within the UC Office of Student Activities & Leadership Development.  The name describes exactly what we do:  Facilitate student activities and support students in developing as a leader.  Knowing our home, it's hopefully no surprise to you that leadership development is part of our student activity.  Being an SALD program is only one of many reasons why we emphasize leadership development.

There are as many philosophies to leadership as there are leaders.  The approach we emphasize in RAPP falls under the philosophy of inclusive leadership.  There are several definitions to this, but for today we'll summarize it as a practice that involves intentional focus on creating inclusion in all work for enhanced outcomes.

The new Accelerating Racial Justice 5-day summer intensive has two key foci:  Racial justice and inclusive leadership.  By participating in this program, you'll get to work intently on your knowledge and skills around these two and enhance your own leadership by learning how to integrate inclusive leadership skills and practices into your work.

As SALD says, leaders are made, not born.  Apply to Accelerating Racial Justice today to help make yourself as an inclusive leader!

The RAPP 2011-12 leadership team focused on continually developing our inclusive leadership skills.
Left to Right: Marjorie, Tyler, DeVorah, Rachel, Matthew, Wil, Mieshia, and Jojo.

How to ApplyThere are two steps to apply for this life-changing program:

1. Read the Information for Potential Applicants.  This piece is designed to cover the common questions people may have about Accelerating Racial Justice to help you decide if it's what you're looking for.
   
2. Complete a written application.  This application gathers basic information from candidates.  Information on how to access the application is available in the Information for Potential Applicants, which you are expected to read before completing a written application.

Please contact Rebecca Lehman at lehmanrl@uc.edu or 513.556.6119 with any questions you may have.

Nominate UC Students to Apply for Accelerating Racial Justice

Please recommend a student who you think would contribute well and grow through this amazing new campus opportunity! We'll contact them with information on how to apply as well as who nominated them (if you would like).


RECOMMEND STUDENTS THROUGH THIS FORM!  Accelerating Racial Justice is RAPP's newest intensive, premiering summer 2012! Developed collaboratively by students and staff from throughout UC, this leadership program is an excellent option for Bearcats interested in social justice but who can't do the year-long commitment RAPP usually requires. All UC students are eligible to apply - graduate, undergraduate, and non-matriculated, regional and uptown campuses, all colleges and major are welcome! The program is provided at no cost to participants. The five-day Accelerating Racial Justice intensive for students to build their awareness, knowledge, and skills related to racial justice and inclusive leadership. Through full participation in the 5-day program, participants: *Develop relationships with 20+ other Bearcats from all over the university *Enhance their understanding of racial justice and inclusive leadership *Build a personal foundation and a supportive community to continue building racial justice and an inclusive leadership community at UC For more on Accelerating Racial Justice, check out www.uc.edu/sald/rapp/ARJ. Please send any questions, comments, or concerns to RAPP Program Coordinator Rebecca Lehman at 513.556.6119 or rebecca.lehman@uc.edu.


RECOMMEND STUDENTS THROUGH THIS FORM!

RAPP Summer Intensive: Accelerating Racial Justice - Aug 13th-17th!

Accelerating Racial Justice is RAPP's newest intensive, premiering summer 2012!  Developed collaboratively by students and staff from throughout UC, this leadership program is an excellent option for Bearcats interested in social justice but who can't do the year-long commitment RAPP requires.
Please help us spread the word on our newest program out of RAPP!  Applications for Accelerating Racial Justice are due by 5PM on Friday, June 15th!


Program Overview
Through the Office of Student Activities & Leadership Development, RAPP will offer the five-day Accelerating Racial Justice intensive for students to build their awareness, knowledge, and skills related to racial justice and inclusive leadership.

Through full participation in the 5-day program, participants:

• Develop relationships with 20+ other Bearcats from all over the university
• Enhance their understanding of racial justice and inclusive leadership
• Build a personal foundation and a supportive community to continue building racial justice and an inclusive leadership community at UC

Accelerating Racial Justice’s curriculum is based in best practices in the realms of social justice education, intergroup dialogue, and inclusive leadership development.

2012 will be the pilot year for Accelerating Racial Justice.  Participants will have the unique opportunity to shape the program through their participation and feedback throughout the program and after.

After the intensive is completed, participants will be welcomed into the RAPPORT community and will be eligible for the RAPP Social Justice Peer Educator Certificate program.

How to Apply
There are two steps to apply for this life-changing program:

1. Read the Information for Potential Applicants.  This piece is designed to cover the common questions people may have about Accelerating Racial Justice to help you decide if it's what you're looking for.
2. Complete a written application.  This application gathers basic information from candidates.  Information on how to access the application is available in the Information for Potential Applicants, which you are expected to read before completing a written application.

Please contact Rebecca Lehman at lehmanrl@uc.edu or 513.556.6119 with any questions you may have.

The inaugural Accelerating Racial Justice intensive will be held at Grailville Retreat Center - just like the first RAPP retreat in 1986!