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

Call for Proposals & Open Registration for UC Diversity Conference!

From UC Diversity:

CALL FOR PROPOSALS & OPEN REGISTRATION

5^th Annual UC Diversity Conference, March 27, 2013

Be a Diversity Leader!

Learn Educate Advocate Develop Empower Research

Dear 2012 Diversity conference participant,

You are invited to join us by participating as a conference presenter or participant in the 5^th Annual University of Cincinnati Diversity Conference on Wednesday, March 27, 2013

from 8 AM - 5 PM. Last year’s conference brought almost 400 participants and included presentations by noted Cincinnati Leaders and faculty.

This conference is designed to highlight pedagogy, experiential knowledge and innovative practices that encourage individuals and organizations to build vibrant, diverse and inclusive environments.  To make this event great community collaboration, we are seeking thought-provoking interactive workshop presentations and stimulating panel discussions. We welcome proposals from all interested faculty, students, staff, administrators and area professionals who practice and value being a diversity LEADER.

Conference Session Topics

Your program proposal should emphasize being a LEADER in one of the following topic areas:

·         Class and Poverty:  This topic deals with socio-economic diversity and challenges, including debt and homelessness.

·         Conflict Resolution and Leadership:  Focus on resolving conflict and providing participants with opportunities for leadership within their communities.

·         Gender and GLBTQ:  Topics relating to males and females, as well as sexual orientation and identity, are featured in this category.

·         History, Politics and Law: The intersection of government and politics with diversity provides many interesting topics for discussion.

·         Media, Music, Art and Well-Being: Cultural diversity, including social media use, music, art, and health consciousness.

·         Mental and Physical Challenges: These workshops focus on topics affecting those with physical challenges (including deafness, blindness, and mobility impairments) as well as mental challenges, learning disabilities and other handicaps.

·         Race, Ethnicity and Nationality: One of the more common topics thought of in relation to our conference is race, but we expand this category to include both ethnicity and nationality.

·         Religion: Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and more: Religious diversity makes up a significant topic among our workshops.

·         Work, School, Family and Community: Topics pertain to how to improve work, family, and/or school environment or work toward tolerance and acceptance within their community.

Program Format

·         There will be an opening ceremony, keynote and four (4) concurrent sessions with 8 to 10 presentation choices. Audiences will range from 25 to 65 people. The format is flexible and may include more than one presenter.  Sessions will be one hour and fifteen minutes in length. All participants will enjoy networking opportunities during breakfast, the Marian Spencer Ambassador Diversity Awards Luncheon and our closing reception.

Proposal Submission

http://cincinnatiuniv-web.ungerboeck.com/spa/spa_p1_authors.aspx?oc=10&cc=112092603651

·         We are pleased to utilize a new conference management system where abstract proposals, bios and pictures are submitted on-line. Open an account now, you may continue to use the site to edit and build content up until the *January 11, 2013 DEADLINE.

·         Proposals will be evaluated by a committee and presenters will be notified by February 1, 2013.

·         Conference presenters will receive complimentary registration with meals, a personalized Diversity Leader Certificate and a Diversity Leader T-shirt.

Registration

http://cincinnatiuniv-web.ungerboeck.com/coe/coe_p2_details.aspx?oc=10&cc=COE&eventid=5140

·         The early bird registration rate of $25 Students, $50 Faculty & Staff and $75 for community and non-UC faculty is available until January 11, 2013.

·         Rates after January 11, 2013, $30 Students, $55 Faculty & Staff and $100 community and non-UC faculty.

·         All registrants will receive meals and a personalized Diversity Leader Certificate.

We invite organizations, departments and individuals to join us in presenting this year's conference.  The sponsorship levels and corresponding benefits are:

SPONSOR LEVELS & BENEFITS:

• Champion - $500; admit 2; quarter page and name listing as sponsor
• Change Agent - $1,000; admit 4; half page and name listing as sponsor
• Leader - $2,500; admit 8; full page and name listing as sponsor

For more information visit:  http://www.uc.edu/diversity/Conference.html

RAPPORT Workshop on Social Justice Education - Sept 24th!

On Monday, September 24th, RAPPORT has our first workshop of the year!

You know about social justice.  But do you know about social justice education?  Come explore the foundations of social justice education and common reactions people have to it.

The meeting is 6PM-8PM in the 6th Floor Open Space of Steger Student Life Center.

This workshop is open to all - check it out on Facebook and spread the word!

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.

Introduction to the Prison Industrial Complex Workshop - May 25th!

RAPP facilitators Rebecca & Marjorie are working with current RAPP member and RA Brendon to do a local presentation of the Introduction to the Prison Industrial Complex Workshop as developed by the Chicago PIC Teaching Collective.

Join us this Friday, May 25th, from 5:30PM to 8:30PM in 101 Turner Hall.  

Dinner from Island Fryday's is provided thanks to the Minority Residents' Coordinating Committee of Jefferson Complex.

Turner Hall is located at 45 W. University Ave. (45219) - the workshop is held in the classroom off of the complex's main lobby.

No RSVP needed.  Check the Facebook event for more information.

AMOS Project Racial Justice Summit -

AMOS Project Racial Justice Summit
2012 Racial Justice Summit

Community ~ Story ~ Action
Featuring acclaimed authors Michelle Alexander and Michael Emerson.  We will learn from insightul scholars, build skills and develop deeper understanding of how we can address racial inequality, and continue to work to address systems of inequality while building new relationships.

When:  Friday, May 4, 2012,  9:00am - 4:00pm
Where:  National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 East Freedom Way  Cincinnati, OH 45202
Cost:  We are asking for a donation of $10.00 per person.

About the keynote speakers:
Michael Emerson is considered one of the leading scholars on race and religion, his work in this area began with Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America (Oxford University Press, 2000), which was named the 2001 Distinguished Book of the Year by the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.
Emerson’s research focuses also on urban growth, development, inequality, and urban life. He teaches courses in race and ethnic relations, religion, urban sociology, poverty and justice, and research methods. His main research interests lie in these areas as well. Emerson has focused most closely on the role of race in shaping social action in the United States, recently by focusing on health, residential segregation, and on the institution of religion. Michael Emerson is co-director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University.

Professor Michelle Alexander is the author of the award winning book, “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.”  She joined the OSU faculty in 2005. She holds a joint appointment with the Moritz College of Law and the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. Prior to joining the OSU faculty, she was a member of the Stanford Law School faculty, where she served as Director of the Civil Rights Clinic.
Professor Alexander has significant experience in the field of civil rights advocacy and litigation. She has litigated civil rights cases in private practice as well as engaged in innovative litigation and advocacy efforts in the non-profit sector. For several years, Professor Alexander served as the Director of the Racial Justice Project for the ACLU of Northern California, which spearheaded a national campaign against racial profiling by law enforcement.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

RAPPORT Workshop: Debate, Discussion, & Dialogue and Triggers! - Jan 23rd!

Debate, Discussion, & Dialogue and Triggers! - RAPPORT Meeting

Monday, January 23rd

6PM-8PM

6th Floor Open Space, Steger Student Life Center

All are invited to this RAPPORT workshop! We'll be exploring two main concepts: The differences between debates, discussion, and dialogue - how to utilize each effectively to communicate. Triggers and the trigger response cycle - what's going on for us when we're triggered and how does this relate to our social justice journeys. Despite the theoretical nature of the content, we'll be engaging these topics from our personal experiences. This should be a valuable evening of learning and sharing around communication!

Deadline Extended for UC Diversity Conference - Due Jan 16th!

From the UC Diversity Conference:

The theme of this year's conference is
"I am a Diversity Leader"

The 4th Annual University of Cincinnati Diversity Conference will be held on Wednesday April 18, 2012.  The conference is designed to highlight pedagogy, experiential knowledge and innovative practices that encourage faculty, students, staff and Cincinnati community members to build vibrant, diverse and inclusive environments.

Learn     Educate     Advocate     Develop      Empower    Research

DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR CONFERENCE PROPOSALS

Join us by participating as a conference presenter.  The format and conference plan are described in the 2012 Call for Proposals.   Please submit proposals on the Presentation Proposal submission form (Word format).  The proposal deadline is Monday Jan. 16, 2011.

Equality Ohio offers LGBT Trainings and Presentations

From Equality Ohio:

Bring Equality Ohio to Your University or Workplace

Equality Ohio offers a broad range of presentations, some for continuing education credit, that you can bring to your workplace or university. Equality Ohio’s Director of Programs and Outreach, Kim Welter, consistently travels throughout Ohio to present LGBT-related training to direct care providers, schools, businesses, and other organizations. The presentations include:

• Straight Talk About LGBT Issues: General issues effecting the LGBT community
• Safe Places Safe Spaces: Creating welcoming and inclusive environments for LGBT individuals
• The State of the State: The status of state policies and how they effect the LGBT community
• Marriage: How state marriage policies effect the LGBT community
• Local/State Dynamics: How to work on local ordinances

Contact Kim Welter today to schedule a presentation. 

Snapshots from RAPPORT's First Workshop of 2011-12

RAPPORT held our first workshop of the academic year this past Monday.  The meeting ran from 6PM-8PM in Stratford Heights Pavilion.

Workshops focus on social justice education skills and knowledge - slightly different than the topical and self- and/or issues-focus of our meetings.

This workshop focused on exploring the concept of social justice education and goal + goal-setting.  It ended with participants setting a personal goal around social justice education.

Joey (XXVI), Jojo (XXIV), N'deye (XXVI) and Dustin discuss a definition of social justice education.

Marjorie (XXV), AJ (XXVI), and DeVorah (XXIV) make a word cloud about their definitions of social justice education.

Tiara (XXVI) and Lulu (XXII) present their word cloud.

Jojo, Matthew (XXVI), and DeVorah discuss their "orders" at Le Chateau Goale.

Tiara, Dustin, and Bobby (XXV) work on their goals. 

After the workshop, several of us ventured to the PAC Haunted Mansion!

Thanks to all who were able to come out and make the evening fun and meaningful!

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.

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.

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.

Race & Sexuality Program - Apr 27th!

On Wednesday, April 27th, from 7PM to 9PM Stratford Heights RA and RAPP XXIV graduate Lisa W is hosting an evening of dialogue on race & sexuality.

All are invited to participate in a series of activities to explore our daily experiences of our race and our sexual orientation.  We'll also explore our values and beliefs around race and sexuality and discuss racism & heterosexism.

The program will take place in the Stratford Heights Pavilion and food will be provided for participants.

The program is a re-presentation of the workshop developed for Harambe, RAPP, and RAPPORT members last quarter.

Nutrition and Fitness Workshops

The Campus Recreation Center is inviting all UC Students to attend FREE informative workshops focusing on Nutrition and Fitness myths and truths this winter quarter.

Each time you attend, you ENTER TO WIN AN iPOD NANO!


Go to the Nutrition Workshops Schedule to find out which one's interest you.

Go to the Fitness Workshops Schedule to find out which one's you can make.

Check out the UC Campus Recreation Facebook Page. While you are there, you can also RSVP to the workshops via Facebook Events.

First RAPPORT Workshop of 2010-2011 Reflections

For RAPPORT 2010-2011 schedule we've unveiled two types of regular get-togethers:

RAPPORT Meetings – These are what we sometimes call “RAPP Lite.”  These are times where we continue our work on social justice issues looking particularly at areas of identity that we didn’t focus on as heavily on in RAPP as we did on race, gender, and sexuality.  These include but are not limited to religious differences, socio-economic class, ability, age, and nationality.  RAPPORT Meetings may also involve “field trips” to museums or workshops throughout the city.

RAPPORT Facilitation Workshops – These are where we work specifically on exploring issues, expanding knowledge, and developing skills around peer education and facilitation.  Topics include but are not limited to learning styles, curriculum development, theoretical foundations of social justice education and experiential learning, giving instructions, group development, and supportive classroom management.

Last night was the first RAPPORT Facilitation Workshop of the year!  We had a great time - twelve RAPPORT members participated in the two-hour workshop and were wholeheartedly, FUN-ly engaged.

We spent the initial portion of the workshop doing a series of activities designed to tap into five different ways in which we display intelligences (as posited in Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences).  These five activities helped us continue to get to know each other better, but also challenged us each in different ways.  The group recorded and later reported out how each of the activities felt to them.  By being able to see the ways we reacted differently to different activities the group identified that it was important to lead workshops that not only reach out to different learning styles but also provide participants a variety of ways to express themselves.

Our next get-together is a RAPPORT Meeting on Monday, November 1st.  We've got a great group of RAPPORT folk coming out to meetings, so I look forward to each one!

Learning Assistance Center Training

The UC Learning Assistance Center provides self-help resources for all UC students, faculty and staff.

Here's how they describe what they do on their website:

Students may download materials on anxiety, attitude, concentration, information processing, note taking, memorization, motivation, goal setting, self testing, selecting main ideas, study skills, time management, test taking strategies, researching and writing papers, and how to use the library.  In addition, both weekly and quarterly planning grids are also available for students who wish to prioritize and better manage their time.

Two of their many services involve students in helping other students:

• Supplemental Instruction provides weekly review sessions for students in large lecture courses.
• Tutoring Services provides free academic tutoring available both in person and online.

We have the fortune of doing workshops with student workers in both Supplemental Instruction and Tutoring Services this week.  On Saturday, we'll be exploring crosscultural communication strategies with the Supplemental Instruction leaders.  On Tuesday, we'll be doing similar work with the Tutoring Services tutors.

Theta Phi Alpha Workshop

This afternoon I was lucky to spend the afternoon with the wonderful women of the UC's Epsilon chapter of Theta Phi Alpha.

Over twenty-five women participated in a two hour workshop where we explored diversity at UC, multicultural resources here, and crosscultural communication strategies.  They proved to be a knowledgeable and thoughtful group of leaders here - as a group, they know a lot about multiculturalism at UC and take ownership of creating a welcoming environment within their chapter.

Working with them was a great way to start the 2010-2011 school year!

Art Academy Convocation

Today I had the pleasure of having a conversation with incoming new students, returning students, faculty, and staff of the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

Most of the first year class of students from the Art Academy participated in their Convocation, which involved welcomes and information from the Academy president and dean, information about involvement opportunities, and a speaker from ArtWorks.

Following those speakers, I spent just over an hour with the group exploring the concepts of inclusion and exclusion.  In that, we explore how we define those concepts, how we ourselves have experienced inclusion and exclusion, and ways in which we can choose to make an inclusive environment for others.  The given topic was quite broad, but the students did an excellent job contextualizing it and identifying ways in which they participated in it.

This workshop is hopefully the first of an ongoing relationship with the Art Academy.  We hope to connect again in the future on specific topics of social identity as well as specific aspects of awareness, leadership, and crosscultural communication.