Dear Friends,
February has brought some changes to The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio! We are happy to welcome our newest addition, Jasmine King, to the program department. Please read her biography to the right and feel free to reach out and welcome her!
President & CEO
The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio
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Staff Contact
President & CEO
Lorraine Pennick
Executive Assistant to President & CEO
Kim Koch
Chief Operating Officer and Finance Director
Jessica Daigler
Director, Lead Diversity
Ruth Polomsky
Manager of Marketing and Development
Jasmine King
Director of School and Youth Programs
Program and Marketing Coordinator
Director of Professional Development Programs
Principal Consultant, Professional Development
Program Specialist, School &Youth
Curriculum & Outreach Specialist
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The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio is dedicated to bringing our programs to as many students as we can. Your school may qualify for a partial grant which could help defray costs for bringing in a program to your school.
Please contact Kathryn Brown for information about school grants.
Schools can also consider fundraising for our Walk, Rock, and Run. Any amount a school raises will be credited back to that school to defray the cost of programming.
In order to have fundraising money credited toward programming educators must contact Ruth Polomsky for information about how to register your school before you begin fundraising for the Walk, Rock and Run.
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March 4, 2016
Middle & High School Conference at
John Carroll University
Click
here for more information
April 30, 2016
Walk, Rock & Run
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Click
here to register!
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Jasmine King,
Director of School and Youth Programs
The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio would like to introduce Jasmine King, our new Director of School and Youth Programs. This is a completely new position created to manage and promote diversity programs for our region's youth. Jasmine comes from a teaching background, and spent the bulk of her time in the Warrensville Heights School District. She brings a wealth of practical experience working with high school students to the position.
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Honored at the 2014 Humanitarian Award Dinner as Educator of the Year, Ms. King has been connected to The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio for a long time. She remembers coming to the Leadership Luncheon as President of her high school's diversity club. We are happy Jasmine has moved from a participant in our school and youth programs to our Director of School and Youth.
It seems to be a natural step for Jasmine to work at The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio. When asked why she joined the team she explained: "Diversity is
ever present
and relevant. What we do is so important because so many students live in an environment that is homogeneous and don't have a chance to move outside of their bubble." She believes The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio can help students learn how to build relationships outside their comfort zone and better prepare them for their future college and career experiences.
We are happy to have such an advocate of diversity and inclusion join us!
Feel free to contact
Jasmine King
with your congratulations and School and Youth Program inquiries.
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Many times educators need added assistance in creating an inclusive classroom. That is why The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio has started a new initiative to make activities, lesson plans, handouts, and other classroom materials available through our website. We strive to be a resource for Northeast Ohio and beyond. Providing free resources is one way we can ensure our message of equality, justice, and inclusion reaches as many people as possible.
Look for continual updates and a growing list of resources under the School and Youth section of our website.
We are pleased to introduce our curriculum that works in tandem with the
#rethinklabels video. Free free to share it with your contacts!
Click here for a direct link to the School and Youth page where we will be listing resources.
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| Addressing Colorblindness |
Frequently our program staff hears claims of being "colorblind" by participants in sessions about race. The desire to distance ourselves from discussions of race and prejudice is common. Unfortunately such comments excuse individuals from delving deep into the experience of others. Quite simply, race matters. Saying something like "I don't think about race, I just think about people" erases an element of a person's identity. Our racial and ethnic identity influences our daily life in a variety of ways and the lack of acknowledgement can distance people from one another, creating a barrier to understanding and solidarity with others.
Be brave enough to acknowledge that race exists, let's not hide from it! Bring the discussion into the open and recognize that everyone possesses a racial identity and with that, a unique experience.
Click here to read an interesting interpretation about colorblindness from a teacher in Seattle, Washington.
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School and Youth Programs
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Middle and High School Conference, March 4th, 2016
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Our annual conference for regional middle and high school students will take place at John Carol University on March 4th this year. Schools can bring up to
8 students and 2 teachers in their group. The conference this year will involve both Diversity Center staff and local teen groups leading discussions about personal identity, connecting with others, and becoming upstanders in their school. This year we will also be honoring local student leaders that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to their school and community in the field of diversity and inclusion. Each participating school is encouraged to nominate one student leader for consideration.
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"American Denial" Large School Program
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Every year schools ask if we have special programs for Black History Month. While we believe that every month should be Black History Month, we wanted to design a program that would encourage thoughtful discussion about the legacy of race in America. This year we are offering a documentary accompanied by classroom resources. The film,
"American Denial"
examines race relations in the United States and enables large amounts of students to participate in a meaningful discussion about unconscious bias and discrimination.
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| Image from the film American Denial. A boy selects a white doll as preferable to a black doll during a sociological experiment. |
This program can be integrated into Social Studies, Humanities, and even English Language Arts classes. Teachers will receive both pre and post-documentary worksheets, a discussion guide, and ideas for how to continue the lesson beyond the viewing. A representative from The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio will introduce the film and help students think about race as a vital identity marker worthy of open and honest discussion. During key moments, a facilitator will pause the film to carry on a brief discussion to make sure students are able to process the material and connect it to their own lives.
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Diversity Through the Arts
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Integrating diversity lessons into the creative arts can help teachers achieve both curricular and social-emotional goals in the classroom.
Diversity Through the Arts sessions take our basic
introduction to diversity and emphasizes visual arts, music, play acting, or English Language Arts elements to help students connect the lessons to their own personal experience.
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Professional Development for Teachers
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Have you ever wanted a professional development or other opportunities dealing with diversity and inclusion training, but were unable to find one that fit your needs?
In an effort to provide better services for the educators in our region, we would like your feedback. Please take a moment to complete our survey about professional development programs in the region and let us know how we can better serve Northeast Ohio.
Click here for the survey, it is only 5 questions!
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| Customized Facilitation Comes to the Workplace |
The Diversity Center recognizes that the unique structure
and needs of organizations can differ. For this reason,
we consult with your organization to assess and address
your specific needs.
Workshops offered include but are not limited to:
* Understanding Unconscious Bias
* Intercultural Communication
* Cultural Competence and Diversity
* Diversity Leadership
* A Business Case for Diversity & Inclusion
* Building a More Inclusive Organization
* Micro Messages
* Compassion Fatigue & Intercultural Empathy
* LGBTQ Cultural Competence
* Educator Programs
* Diversity Dimensions Spotlight Series
o Race & Ethnicity
o Generational Differences
o Gender Differences
o Socio-Economic Status
o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender
If you are interested in exploring how to bring The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio into your workplace, please contact
Amanda Cooper or
Christen DuVernay
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