The College of Charleston Office of Institutional Diversity (OID) is providing brave spaces on campus where the College community can connect across cultures through its A.I.R.E. (Access, Inclusion, Responsiveness and Equity) workshops and trainings with the goal of defining both the campus’ challenges to equity and possible solutions. These include the A.I.R.E. World Café series, which provides opportunities for campus members to craft ideas that empower underserved populations at the College.
Charissa Owens, director of diversity education and training, Office of Institutional Diversity
“Growing is learning, and learning is understanding,” says Charissa Owens, director of diversity education and training for the OID. “When we have a better understanding of ourselves, we are able to experience ourselves and others as unique and separate individuals. This empowers us to build on our strengths, identify areas we would like to improve and take the first step in transforming the campus into a more inclusive and accessible environment.”
The A.I.R.E. World Café provides an opportunity to take that first step. Held three times a semester, these large-group workshops focus on self-awareness, building equitable spaces and crossing cultures. Participants who attend all three workshops each semester will:
- Define a common vocabulary to discuss inclusive excellence at the College
- Identify challenges that inhibit a welcoming and supportive environment for underrepresented minorities
- Brainstorm ideas to create more spaces where underrepresented minorities can feel comfortable at the College
- Recall resources available to campus members to report discrimination and harassment
“Discover how to create equitable living and learning spaces at this workshop,” says Owens. “Through the lens of popular films like Kung Fu Panda, you’ll learn to embrace different backgrounds and build environments where race, gender, sexual orientation and disabilities are valued and supported. Enhanced with discussion and other active learning methods, this workshop will engage you unlike any other training.”
The A.I.R.E. World Café is a brownbag lunch open to the entire College community. Participants will be eligible for prizes like T-shirts and hats, and faculty, staff and students who attend the signature programs regularly are eligible to be honored with an A.I.R.E. Student Scholarship or the A.I.R.E. Faculty and Staff Award.
RELATED: Find out about the A.I.R.E. Faculty and Staff Award.
The next session is at noon on Monday, March 23, 2020, in the Theodore S. Stern Student Center, room 205. Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is encouraged. Register with this online form.
Get a head start by visiting the A.I.R.E. Digital Guide on Self-Awareness, an interactive resource featuring strategies to build self-awareness and promoting best practices in advancing inclusion and equity at the College.
