Conduct More Effective Social Justice Programming on Your Campus
Magna Publications News Release
Madison, Wis.—November 16, 2010—How do you effectively conduct social justice programming on your campus? For Carmen Rivera, Director of College Access at Colorado State University and becky martinez, ed.d., organizational development consultant and trainer, the process begins with understanding the concept of social justice. This concept is defined in Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice: A Sourcebook in part as “a vision of society that is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure.” Facilitating the journey to this vision is easier if you remember five helpful steps:
- Be your authentic self: “We all have multiple and intersecting identities,” say Rivera and martinez. Facilitators need to have knowledge of their own strengths and weaknesses regarding topics about which they need to learn more, and be willing and vulnerable to share personal stories. The facilitator should role model how he or she would like the group to participate and be ready to manage topics that trigger the facilitator or the group.
- Create a safe space and lean into discomfort: Social justice programming can be likened to a seat belt, say the presenters. “’Safe’ doesn’t always mean ‘comfortable,’” they say. They advise spending time creating community and using both large and small groups to process information and encourage various levels of disclosure. Rivera and martinez also advise embracing the value of both resistance and celebration.
- Co-facilitate: Having more than one facilitator can bring a great deal of depth and range to a program. Rivera and martinez recommend taking time to connect with your co-facilitator and identify strengths, gaps, and triggers, then find ways to help one another over any difficulties in the course of the program.
- Meet folks where they are: “We are all on a journey,” Rivera and martinez say. Each person in a session is an expert in their own life’s journey, but not all journeys are in the same place. Social justice facilitators need to cultivate the ability to honor the personal experiences of the participants while compassionately nudging them to think about the topics at hand.
- Be creative and well-prepared: Likewise, not everyone learns the same way, and not every presentation or session will go as expected. Include various approaches to teaching and learning in a social justice program and rely on the group to bring the curriculum to life. Have back up plans and ways to adjust if things do not go as expected.
Rivera and martinez clearly work together well as co-facilitators, and they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the subject of social justice programming. Their information is valuable for anyone conducting a training or informational presentation; for those conducting social justice programming, it is essential.
If you missed the seminar and would like to purchase it for your institution, you can order the program in CD or print transcript format, both of which include the presenters' handouts.
Magna Publications is a leading publisher of newsletters and other information products in the higher education segment. Magna also manages onsite and online conferences on topics of interest to higher education.
For more information please contact David Burns, Publisher, Magna Publications, Inc., at 608-227-8109, or dburns@magnapubs.com.
