Lessons Learned: The Disengagement

Facilitating RAPPORT has proved to be quite different than facilitating ARJ or a workshop on campus. Working with RAPPORT since 2012 has vastly expanded how I present materials, models and how I work with members in the group. One thing to remember is that most of the people who go to RAPPORT meetings have gone through one intensive already.

When I facilitate workshops however, many of the people we reach haven't gone through a social justice education program. And even if they have attended such programs, they may only be attending a workshop because their professor or learning community has set the workshop in place. Therefore, as someone leading or co-leading the workshop I have to realize not everyone is comfortable or eager to talk about whatever materials or issues we are presenting to them.

In any enviroment, there will be people talking and talking and talking. I was one of them in my RAPP year and maybe that's why I'm here! :)
Anywho, and in every group there will be a few people not talking much. It doesn't mean I'm confusing people or not making any sense, but just that some people aren't as engaged as other. I have to remember not to take things personally and embrace the disengagement!

Lessons Learned is a RAPP Blog initiative intended for folks who hold formal leadership positions in RAPP programs to share what they're learning through their process

Faculty & Staff - Register Now for "Creating a Gender-Inclusive Campus" Webinar

From UC News:

Faculty and Staff: Register Now For Informative Webinar

As part of the larger LGBT History month celebrations at UC, the LGBTQ Center & RAPP are partnering to host a campus showing of the webinar, 'Creating a Gender-Inclusive Campus.'

Date: 10/15/2012 12:00:00 AM
By: Rebecca Lehman
Phone: (513) 556-6119

   UC faculty and staff are invited to the webinar, “Creating a Gender-Inclusive Campus,” which takes place from 1-2:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 29, in Room 425 of Tangeman University Center. 

The LGBTQ Center (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Center) and RAPP (Racial Awareness Program) invite UC faculty and staff to build their knowledge and skills around supporting and meeting the needs of trans individuals and creating a more gender-inclusive campus.  

This program will discuss complex ways that students understand and express their gender and best practices and policies in areas such as housing, facilities, health services, student activities, athletics and admissions.

An RSVP is required to attend. Click here for registration and more information.

RAPP Outreach in Fall Semester

As a programming area in Student Activities & Leadership Development, RAPP works in three main ways:  Intensives, RAPPORT, and Outreach.  Outreach is where we have a great opportunity for broad impact and is where we engage the most Bearcats.

So far this semester, we have done six programs on campus and connected with around 150 people.  Appropriate for midterms, we have another six scheduled.  Here are some snapshots of what we've done this fall:

• We explored the Just Community Principles and how they relate with our community & student success with the AACRC Habari Gani Ambassadors.
• We explored communication about race, daily experiences of race, and positive racial identity development with the students of Psych 2042, Psychology of Interpersonal Relations.
• We discussed ourselves in the context of multiple identities and explored how that impacts our lives and community with members of the UC chapter of Future Educators of America.
• We explored our connections with the Prison Industrial Complex (PIC), its history in America, and the history of resistance & change in the Introduction to the PIC Workshop with Jefferson Complex RA Brendon Richey.
• We identified demographics and resources around race, gender, sexuality, and ability and explored how complex these identities are in university life with McMicken Ambassadors.
• Rebecca shared her journey into Social Justice Education and her perspectives on/experiences in the field, as well as led an activity on multiple identity self-awareness, with the students of Careers in Communication.

Still ahead are the showing of The Line in Stratford Heights, the faculty & staff focused Creating a Gender-Inlcusive Campus, inclusive leadership with the Student Government First-Year Leadership Program, and workshops with first-year learning communities.

Tutor Training on Diversity & Cultural Competence

UC Learning Assistance Center (LAC) partnered with UC Athletics for a joint training of their tutors.  Peer Tutoring is offered for free to all UC students through the LAC.

While many other Bearcats are buzzing about campus with Welcome Weekend activities, these student leaders are participating in a multi-day Tutor training.  One of the many topics they're training on was Diversity & Cultural Competence.  RAPP staff got to spend an hour in discussion with the group of five dozen Bearcats as we explored how diversity & cultural competence relates to their Tutor role, dove into issues of diversity at UC, and reflected on five key skills of inclusive leadership that can enhance their work and growth in their role.

RAPP offers free workshops and trainings to the UC and Cincinnati community.  Learn how you can schedule a free session with us through our Outreach page.

Supplemental Instruction Leader Training on Diversity & Cultural Competence

UC's Academic Excellence & Support Services offers Supplemental Instruction (SI) through its Learning Assistance Center.

Here's what that is, according to the SI website:

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a series of weekly review sessions for students in "historically difficult courses" — courses in subjects with a high rate of D or F grades and withdrawals. SI is provided for all students who want to improve their understanding of the course material and improve their grades. 

These review sessions are facilitated by SI Leaders, who are students who demonstrated success in the topic and are trained to facilitate students' learning in these review sessions.

The week before classes start, these SI Leaders participant in a multi-day training.  One of the topics was Diversity & Cultural Competence.  RAPP staff got to spend an hour in discussion with the group as we explored how diversity & cultural competence relates to their SI Leader role, defined diversity at UC and how we are each a part of it, and played with five key skills of inclusive leadership that can enhance their work and growth in their role.

RAPP Community Connections

It's been a quiet week here on the RAPP blog, but not for lack of activity on campus.  Rather, RAPP and its staff/blog team have been a busy bunch.  As a chance to highlight some of the work we do, here's an overview of the community connections we've been involved in this week:

• Monday & Wednesday morning through early afternoon, RAPP partnered with the LGBTQ Center to provide campus diversity workshops to first year students in the Carl H. Lindner College of Business. Social Justice League member Bobby Filbin, LGBTQ Center graduate assistant B Carbonara, and Rebecca connected with almost 350 students in eight fifty-minute workshops.
• Monday evening, RAPP Public Ally Marjorie Bledsoe and RAPPORT Intern DeVorah YisraEL facilitated a RAPPORT workshop on multiple intelligences & planning inclusive learning experiences.  A dozen people came out to explore our ways of learning and sharing knowledge as well as how to include all learners in educational experiences.
• On Tuesday, Rebecca connected with one of the nearly one hundred First Year Experience Learning Communities for an outreach session.  Each year we work with at least a dozen first year learning communities, exploring campus diversity, self-awareness, and intercultural communication.
• Tuesday evening, we hosted one of our newer activities for RAPP XXVII Tuesday - between session conference calls.  The group asked to try phone check-ins between meetings, so we've set up multiple conference call sessions this quarter.
• In exploration of expanding our partnership with Emerging Ethnic Leaders, Rebecca worked with the advisor for EEL to begin sketching out a formal relationship between our programs for some exciting developments RAPP has in the works (stay tuned here for how to be involved in that!).
• International Education Week is a university-wide program spearheaded by UC International.  SALD participates annually in this great series of events that help our students build global citizenship.  RAPP staff and other SALD staff participated in the kick-off planning meeting for the fall 2012 program.
• As a Student Life staff member and UC alumna herself, Rebecca commits time to supporting some of our major undergraduate scholarships.  This week involved much work with the selection process for the Darwin T. Turner Scholars Program as well as preparing and presenting a Student Life session for competitors in the Cincinnatus Scholarship Program.  The latter program involved highlighting Student Life's countless connections with the University Honors Program.  RAPP XXV member Alyssa Roberts helped present about her leadership journey, including RAPP's contribution to it.
• Our campus community has experienced several racial incidents lately, some public and some not.  While RAPP no longer coordinates the Racial Incident Team (which we did in the late 1980s through mid-1990s), our staff do provide listening ears and responsive educational programming.  Work in this area has been underway this week, as well.

All of this came directly after Rebecca's return from the Social Justice Training Institute 2 & Celebration in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Marjorie's return from 2012 Tri-State Diversity Conference: Diverse Communities - Common Unity in the Cincinnati Airport Marriot.

Thanks to all the folks who keep RAPP hopping and deeply connected with our community in this way!

Social Justice League member Bobby Filbin helped present to nearly 350 College of Business students this week!

Snapshots from Outreach: What's @ UC?

One of the three key ways RAPP works on campus is providing free workshops, trainings, and retreats to the campus and community.

Last week was our first in Stratford Heights for the year.  RAPP members, RAPPORT folks, and community members joined in for a program organized by Kevin W (XXVI), resident advisor in Stratford Heights.

We played "What's @ UC?" - a game that challenges and educates Bearcats about demographics and resources around race, gender, sexuality, ability, and religion.

Many thanks to all who came out and played & discussed!

If you're interested in scheduling a workshop, check out our Outreach page!

Wil P (XXV) joins two community members in discussing a round.

Adolphe (XXVI), Brice, (XXV), and Jojo (XXIV) made up the team "The 3 Gents"!

Cassie (XXVI), Lulu (XXII), and Keshar (XXVII) figuring out the answers to a round!

Kevin & Matthew (XXVI) were joined by community members in their team!

Join UC and RAPP in the 13th annual BRIDGES Walk on October 29th!

Walk with UC and RAPP in the 13^th annual BRIDGES Walk on October 29th!

The BRIDGES Walk for a Just Community is an inspiring event promoting inclusion, equity and justice for all.  This celebration is truly a display of the rich ethnic and cultural compilation of our region.  All proceeds for the walk benefit the programs of BRIDGES for a Just Community.

BRIDGES has been our region’s leading human relations organization since 1944 and is a founding member of the National Federation for Just Communities, a coalition of like-minded organizations working across America to bring the values of diversity, inclusion and social justice to our communities, schools, workplaces and institutions.

2011 Walk Information for UC Participants

Walk Date:  Saturday, October 29, 2011

Walk Location:

Owls Nest Park

1984 Madison Road

Cincinnati, OH 45208

Schedule of Events:

Don't forget - This is a Family Fun event with breakfast, kid's activities, lunch and entertainment!

Join us for the post celebration!!!

9:45 AM Freedom Run begins (certified 5K - $25 registration fee)

10:00 AM BRIDGES Walk for a Just Community begins

Transportation:

UC will run shuttle buses from campus to Owl's Nest Park

Location:   In front of Dabney Hall

101 W. Daniels Street

Cincinnati, OH 45219

Time:      

8:45 AM  first bus to Owl's Nest Park

9:50 AM  last bus to Owl's Nest Park

To ride with RAPP as a group meet Rebecca (513.546.8221) at Dabney Circle at 9:15am

UC provided buses will return you to campus after the walk

1:00 PM last bus back to campus from the park

An Evening with Emerging Ethnic Leaders

Emerging Ethnic Leaders (EEL) is a leadership development program out of Student Activities & Leadership Development.  While it had existed previously, EEL had disappeared until it was revived last academic year under the coordination of Terri Hurdle, SALD Program Coordinator.

As described online, Emerging Ethnic Leaders helps first-year students of color develop their leadership skills. Through a supportive learning community, the program enhances leadership potential; fosters interpersonal, social, ethical, and moral development; and instills an attitude of social awareness and responsibility.

Program participants will attend monthly meetings, organize service projects, participate in an overnight retreat, and be paired with their own upper class mentor. The overnight retreat will include team building activities, interactive games, and featured presenters and facilitators.  

The program is largely successful due to the involvement of EEL Mentors.  This weekend, the mentors have been participating in a three day retreat to prepare themselves and the program for the year ahead.

RAPP was lucky enough to spend most of their first evening together with them.  We discussed our identities in many areas, we discussed inclusion/exclusion, and we strategized how to support and encourage growth of each other and our students through an organizational inclusion model (based largely on two models by Paul Gorski).

This was RAPP's second year participating in the EEL Mentor training - thanks for another year of rich conversation and learning!

Emerging Ethnic Leaders is currently taking applications for participants in the program!  The application is available here!

Program Coordinator Terri Hurdle kicked off the evening with ice-breakers and a program overview.

EEL Mentor Chris shares during the Circles of Me activity.

EEL Mentors Mark and Alix discuss participatory inclusion.

EEL Mentors Jerrica and Tyrick prepare a presentation on heroes & holidays programming.

EEL Mentors Asia and Mica present on representational inclusion.

Honors Welcome Retreat Panel

The University Honors Program annual Welcome Retreat for new first-year Honors students was Thursday-Friday, September 15-16, at Higher Ground Conference and Retreat Center.

On the second day of the retreat, the staff put together an Honors Panel which iss an opportunity for first-year students to interact with Honors faculty, friends of the University Honors Program, and upper-class Honors students.

Rebecca got to represent RAPP and Student Activities and Leadership Development on an Honors Panel this year!

RAPP is recognized as an experiential learning program through Honors.  Rebecca is an Honors alumna and was grateful to serve on the faculty of the UC LeaderShape Institute through Honors.

Panelists posed for a group picture before heading off to meet the students!

Workshop with Theta Phi Alpha

Yesterday RAPP got to work with the women of Theta Phi Alpha as a part of their Rainbow Retreat!

The local Epsilon chapter is only slightly younger than the national organization itself, having established in Cincinnati in 1919.  The women engage in a variety of leadership development and community engagement activities while maintaining academic excellence.

Our conversations yesterday were about our social identities.  The participants shared their own identities and what that meant for them in small groups.  Then, as a large group, we discussed what impacts our levels of comfort in talking about different identities and how us talking about that relates to the upcoming sorority recruitment.

This was RAPP's second time participating in the Rainbow Retreat.  Thanks for another year of meaningful conversations, Theta Phi Alpha!

Members working on their Circles of Me handout.

Three members pause for a snapshot!

Small group discussion time during the Circles of Me activity.

Interested in a workshop?  RAPP does them all the time and for FREE!  Check out our Outreach page for more information.

RAPP T-Shirt Day! Sept 26th!

It's time for another RAPP T-Shirt Day!

Wearing a RAPP shirt - be it from your year, from the reunion, from the Social Justice League - is a great way to spread awareness about RAPP!

Monday, September 26th, is RAPP T-Shirt Day!

You can do this anywhere!  Whether you're on campus or not, be seen in your RAPP gear!

Which shirt?  THIS SHIRT! ;)

Tabling Season Back in Swing: First-Year Experience Peer Leader Fair

For several years now, I've called the time in which RAPP goes out regularly with our information table "tabling season."

Today's programming and activities fair for Peer Leaders in the UC First Year Experience brings us back into tabling for RAPP XXVII!

Jojo (XXIV) gets a thumbs up from a Peer Leader!

We promoted outreach as well as RAPP XXVII at today's fair!

Project SCOPE at Mt. St. Joseph

Today RAPP will be out with its final workshop of the 2010-11 academic year with Project SCOPE at the College of Mt. St. Joseph.

Project SCOPE (Summer Collegiate Orientation Program and Enrichment) is a program that "brings together African American high school students from the Greater Cincinnati area to assist them in preparing for college."  This immersion program has students living the college life for a month every summer for three years.

We'll be meeting with the Project SCOPE scholars to discuss our social identities and how our group memberships impact us, ending with some time spent identifying ways in which we can each commit to fighting oppression.

Diversity Training with Leadership Scholars

On Thursday, RAPP was able to continue a relationship forged last year with former RAPP XXV Facilitator Tara Bonistall.   For a second time, we were fortunate to lead a workshop in which we had conversations about diversity and inclusion with the teachers and leaders of the Leadership Scholars Summer Program.

Leadership Scholars is a local not-for-profit organization that provides selected inner-city youth with the skills and experiences to become leaders.

With the teachers and leaders of the summer program, we spent two and a half hours in dialogue around the groups' own diversity, what are some of the assumptions we bring into our daily interactions based on our own experiences, and how can we use that knowledge to create strategies for inclusion.

The afternoon included 25 participants - including many current and former Bearcats.  These participants did a phenomenal job exploring their social identities, talking through assumptions and experiences, and created a great set of strategies they're going to use to make a safe and inclusive environment for all the young leaders who will participate in the Summer Program!

Race & Sexuality Program Follow-Up: Thoughts on Inclusion & Exclusion

On Wednesday evening, RAPPORT came together with members of UC Alliance, Genderbloc, Stratford Heights complex, RA Class candidates, ROTC members, The Edge House and other parts of our UC community for a workshop called "Race & Sexuality Dialogue."

The event was organized by Lisa Watkins, RAPP XXIV grad and RA in Stratford Heights.  UC Alliance and GenderBloc helped heavily promote it.  Thanks to everyone's hard work 55+ people participated in this two hour dialogue.

Participants worked through several activities where we explored and shared our experiences throughout life around race and sexuality.  Our final activity of the night involved reacting to a quote and talking about ways we create and/or combat the situation/feelings it describes.

Here's the quote, from Movement in Black by Pat Parker:

If I could take all my parts with me when I go somewhere, and not have to say to one of them, "No, you stay home tonight, you won't be welcome," because I'm going to an all-white party where I can be gay, but not Black.  Or I'm going to a Black poetry reading, and half the poets are antihomosexual, or thousands of situations where something of what I am cannot come with me.  The day all the different parts of me can come along, we would have what I would call a revolution.

In groups, participants reacted to the quote and shared their understanding of it and experiences related to it.

Then, each group compiled a list of things they've seen others do or done themselves that created situations where people felt like the poet described - where only part of themself was welcome rather than the whole.  Below is a word cloud of what the groups stated (the larger the words, the more groups that said it).  Click the picture to see the full image:

The groups also spent time recording things they've seen others do or done themselves that combat situations like the poet described, creating environments where people are welcome as the whole, complex being they are.  Here is a word cloud of that - again, click the image to see the full image:



Many thanks to all the people who attended and participated in the program on Wednesday!

Want a similar program?  Or, any other program?  Be sure to check out the RAPP Outreach page and see what we can do!

Movie Night Monday: 9500 Liberty Showing in Stratford Heights

As a reminder, the Minority Residents Coordinating Committee of Stratford Heights and RAPP are coordinating a film+discussion Monday, April 4th, at 6PM.

The film will be showing in Stratford Height Pavilion located at 2634 Stratford Ave., the Pavilion is Building 16. 

"9500 Liberty" is a compelling documentary about anti-immigration laws. It examines cases of racial profiling and their social and economic effects on a community in Prince William County, Virgina.

Following the film, there will be a group discussion led by a RAPPORT student and RAPP staff.

Check out the Facebook event page to see who else will be there!

RAPP Working with Local Universities

RAPP will be spending the weekend of February 12th-13th with students from Thomas More College and the College of Mt. St. Joseph at their inaugural Diversity Retreat!  Twenty-four students representing both universities are participating in an intensive two-day retreat with the theme Reflect. Understand. Value.

Social Justice League member Marjorie B (XXV) and RAPP Program Coordinator Rebecca (XXII) have been working with the leaders at the respective colleges to prepare and co-lead the retreat.

Throughout the weekend, participants will reflect on themselves in terms of their identity and values, develop understanding of their assumptions around difference, and reflect on the challenge to create inclusive communities.  They will explore and apply social justice theory as well as identify how to make a positive difference on their campuses.

RAPPORT Workshop: Preparing for Business Pathways - Tomorrow!

In February, RAPPORT will be partnering with the faculty of the UC College of Business first-year student seminar Business Pathways for sessions on workplace diversity.  RAPP staff and RAPPORT students will work with all seven sections of the course to make the topic of workplace diversity personal and connect students with supportive offices and organizations where they can further explore diversity, multiculturalism, and social justice.

As part of the general preparation of RAPPORT students - particularly Social Justice League members - to be effective peer educators, the January RAPPORT workshop will focus on preparing for this and similar workshops.

January RAPPORT Workshop
Monday, January 24th
6-8PM
Turner Hall Main Lobby

Emerging Ethnic Leaders Workshop

On Monday early evening, we did a workshop with the mentors of the new-again Emerging Ethnic Leaders program!

Emerging Ethnic Leaders is a program that helps first-year students of color develop their leadership skills to achieve their full potential as leaders at UC.  It provides a supportive learning community in which fosters students' interpersonal, social, ethical, and moral development while instilling values of social awareness and social responsibility.

The program helps students develop their leadership skills, builds a leadership community, and provides networking opportunities.  Participants participate in monthly meetings and an overnight retreat and organize service projects while also developing a relationship with an upperclass student mentor.

At Monday's workshop we explored our communication styles, explored the multicultural change process, and identified areas of social identity that impact our daily experiences.  The mentors were amazing in their deep, personal conversation and their support of each other throughout the journey ahead was already apparent.