Addressing Race Relations in the 21st Century

Examples of Workshops We Offer

We design and modify our workshops to meet the specific needs of your organization. They vary in length from two hours to a full day. Workshops are available for youth and adults.

Understanding Cultural Competence

This session helps to develop participants’ cultural competence by:
1) Providing a framework on how to address issues of equity and race.
2) Creating common language for entering into discourse
The framework takes a look at deepening awareness of self—moving from color blindness to racial cognizance; increasing knowledge of others and their experiences of racism and oppression; developing skills to work effectively across cultures; and advocating and taking action to initiate change.

Leading Organizational Change in a Multicultural World

What does an organization look like when cultural competence is institutionalized?  What do I do with what I know?  What can my actions look like to create culturally relevant systemic change? This workshop is geared towards participants who are committed to social justice but want to learn strategies that can lead to an infrastructure of sustainable change.  Participants will learn two critical aspects that lead to successful organizational change: 1) How to strategically plan for a culture of inclusion and respect through equity team work; and 2) How to build an organizational culture that becomes increasingly comfortable with the discomfort that having courageous conversations creates. Finally, participants learn a model for multicultural organizational identity development and explore where their organization is as a way to prepare them for successes and potential barriers.

Stereotypes and Stereotype Threat

Shelly Harrell, Ph.D., states “A stereotype does not necessarily disappear from consciousness when it is successfully challenged.  However, it does lose its “power” to influence feelings, attitudes, and behaviors so automatically.” Through video, interactive exercises and storytelling, participants are challenged to examine how unspoken, often unconscious, stereotypes create barriers to genuine relationships and influence our attitudes, behaviors and beliefs about one another.  Participants will explore what they can do to effectively counteract stereotype threat using research based on Claude Steele’s work.

Talking with Children and Youth about Race

Recent research has shown that children have very complex understandings of differences and stereotypes. Far from being color-blind, most children are aware of how their own skin color is an advantage or disadvantage. They also judge their peers based on stereotypes that adults might like to believe they are unaware of. Because of this, it is important that children are given anti-bias messages, through actions and words, to actively counter what they are witnessing in the adult world. They also need to learn how to advocate for themselves and others. In this workshop we explore how children learn and practice racism and privilege and strategies for counteracting bias.

Cross Cultural Communication Skills

When we engage in conversations across cultures, there is always the risk that what we say might offend someone. Oftentimes we don’t even know why what we said was offensive. This interactive workshop is designed to assist participants in increasing their knowledge of microaggressions, or what racism looks like in the 21st century. Participants learn common triggers that push peoples “hot buttons”, identify and understand racial microaggression in everyday life, and learn strategies to effectively communicate across cultures when racial tensions exists.

Cultural Cues for Working with African Americans: Everything you Want to Know but Were Afraid to Ask

This session provides knowledge of group cultural norms, values, beliefs and behaviors as well as strategies to effectively work with African American families and colleagues. 

What's up with White Privilege?

Racism is among the most charged issues facing us today, effecting all members of society. Yet most forums that address race focus on the racially "different”, leaving White perspectives, experiences and identity normalized and unexplored. Through lecture, discussion and experiential exercises we will shift the focus and provide an opportunity for participants to reflect on what it means to be White within a society that is racially stratified. We will then discuss common ways that privilege manifests itself on an institutional and personal level and how it influences relationships within and across cultures.

Train the Trainers: Helpful Tips for Leading and Facilitating Conversations about Race

Participants in this session will learn tips and techniques on how to present sensitive information to a wide audience of learners, gain knowledge of pitfalls, and practice strategies that will help them become effective presenters of equity and race related topics.

Cultural Clashes: A Simulation

This activity and facilitated debrief offers insight into cultural clashes that cannot be replicated by simply watching a video or listening to a presentation. This is a fun way to gain a deeper understanding of power dynamics in the United States and learn how we can create more welcoming work environments.

Ethnic Identity Development

Understanding where people are at in their ethnic identity development helps us to appreciate the lens in which they view the world.  Our knowledge can be used as a tool to assist us in navigating difficult conversations around race.  This workshop looks at the different dynamics related to ethnic identity development specifically between People of Color and European Americans.  Participants engage in reflection and conversation to identify stages of their own identity development and how this influences their relationships across cultures.  As the presenter discusses the different phases of ethnic identity development that individuals may go through, she shares personal stories and experiences to increase participants’ understanding of ethnic identity development and models the benefits of reflective practice. 

Is my Curriculum Biased?

This workshop will train educators to screen curriculum materials for a variety of biases including ageism, sexism, racism, ableism, and heterosexism. Participants will practice using tools for a whole school, university, or district adoption, as well as tools for examining materials in individual classes.

From Belief to Action: Culturally Responsive Classroom Practice

Based on a foundation of awareness of self and knowledge of others, this workshop focuses on specific ways educators can apply cross-cultural skills in their classrooms. Participants will learn about classroom-tested curriculum in science, social studies, mathematics and language arts that connects to the lives of all learners.

Institutional Power: Agents and Targets

“This reminded me that I am the director of instruction and I am empowered to make the changes I need to create a proactive and positive learning environment.”
   -Workshop Participant

Caprice.Hollins@CulturesConnecting.com   206-353-2831