Slider | Maura Cullen: The Diversity Speaker



The Office Of Multicultural Affairs Presents…

Residence Assistance

Guide to Planning

Diversity Awareness Program

Please do not remove from the

Office of Residence Life

THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING TO LEAD A DIVERSITY PROGRAM FOR YOUR FLOOR.

This Binder filled with experiential learning activities, aims to help address those issues with student groups or student staff

Diversity Program Objectives (a.k.a. Reason for this Binder)

• To help participants see the world from other points of view

• To promote awareness, understanding, acceptance and celebration of diversity

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Many of these resources were found by searching the web. I would like to take the time to recognize 2 very helpful resources, that National Coalition Building Institute and the Leadership Center at Washington State University. This is in no way an original work, and if it was reviewed there would be some copy write infringements. This is simply a binder, a guide for you to look through because best practices should be shared with everyone.

I have color coded where I took what from, here is the key:

Washington State University - Blue

National Coalition Building Institute – Green

Resources on campus – Yellow

Other (World Wide Web) - Red

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Take a moment to think about your RA Training. Have you done some true self exploration? Many of the activities in this binder will have your floor do just that. It would be good to really get to know all your cultural backgrounds before beginning (much to what we explained during training). You can’t build a relationship with anyone else, until you have a good concept or understanding about yourself.

BEFORE LEADING A PROGRAM: * IMPORTANT PLEASE READ*

Whenever sharing information on Diversity Program, it is important to state that YOU are not an expert in Diversity. What you do know is that it is important to build relationships with people and you can do that with the tools that you are about to share with them.

Table of Context

|Activity |Time |Method |Materials |Page |

|Who Are We? Let’s Begin |15-20 minutes |Small group discussion |None |5 |

|Choices |10-15 minutes |Small group formation |None |6 |

|Trading Places |15-20 minutes |Activity |Post-It notes and pens/pencils |7 |

|Seeing How It Is |20-25 minutes |Role play/simulation |Depends on how it’s presented |8 |

|Chatter |20-25 minutes |Activity |Copies of etiquette sheets |8 |

|Exclude |15-20 minutes |Activity |Player Allocation Table, |10 |

| | | |Outsider Instruction sheet, | |

| | | |whistle | |

|Reincarnation |15-20 minutes |Personal reflection and |Playing cards, paper, pens |11 |

| | |discussion | | |

|Same Difference |35-40 minutes |Activity |People Attributes handout, |14 |

| | | |playing cards, paper and pens, | |

| | | |whistle, timer | |

|Disability Empathy Activities |Varies |Simulations |Varies |17 |

|Guided Journey |30-35 minutes |Self reflection and discussion |Six index cards for each |19 |

| | | |participant | |

|Pairs |15-20 minutes |Self reflection/ exploration |The list of Identities |22 |

|First Thoughts |15 minutes |Understand where first thoughts |A blank board and marker |23 |

| | |come from | | |

|Caucuses |20-30 minutes |Giving a voice to groups, |Larger easel paper, markers |24 |

| | |setting the tone |(tape optional) | |

|30 Days Series |1 hour |Perspective, small group |Media equip, 30 day video, group|25 |

| | |discussion |discussion question starters | |

|Media Maddness |Varies |Understanding how sterotypes are|TV, red paper (or some type of |25 |

| | |reinforced |buzzers), discussion questions | |

|Cross the Line |Varies |Building cross-cultural |List of questions, large space |26 |

| | |connections, building | | |

| | |relationships | | |

|Carousel |Varies |Self exploration, or building |List of questions |29 |

| | |cross-cultural connections | | |

|BafaBafa |1 hour |Simulations on being different |2 cassette players, pencils, |30 |

| | |from larger group |small sheets of paper, and the | |

| | | |game with instructions and cards| |

Who Are We? Let’s Begin

15-20 minutes

PURPOSE

To give participants have a chance to discuss their ideas about diversity and diversity workshops, and to help participants find out who they are and what they would like to see happen during their time together as a group

EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS: None

PROCEDURE

1. Begin by asking the group how many work in the same department or same organization (or attend the same class, live in the same dormitory, etc.) and then ask them, if possible, not to group together for activities.

2. Explain to the group that people often come to a diversity workshop with fixed ideas about what will happen. This activity will give them an opportunity to discuss their ideas about diversity workshops and what they would like to see happen while they are together.

3. Divide the participants into small groups. Allow about 5 minutes for discussion, first on their expectations from past information, and then on their hopes for the next few hours.

4. Suggest that they may also use the following questions as guidelines:

What kind of work do we do and how does diversity affect that work (or our learning, life at school or on campus, etc.)?

What might be a real concern or fear about this type of workshop?

What are our hopes for the future of diversity in our organization?

Where would we like to see our organizations go in the future?

Who benefits most?

5. Reconvene and ask for a report about the key points discussed.

DEBRIEF (facilitate a discussion using processing questions)

Choices

PURPOSE

To experience how people make decisions when choosing those with whom they want to work

TIME: 10 Minutes, EQUIPMENT: None, MATERIALS: None

PROCEDURE

1. Ask the group to stand up and mill around as if at a reception or cocktail party.

2. Give the following instructions:

Each person's goal is to form a work group of 4–5 people. To do that, your task is to find people with similar histories, values, attitudes, work/family responsibilities, or even assumptions about others.

After you have met 1–2 participants who share things in common with you, your group will establish the criteria for others to join. For example, your group may find that you are all single parents who are concerned about childcare. Or perhaps you may have attended the same high school, enjoy the same hobby, or are active in specific social advocacy programs. As the criteria become fixed, only those who fit can join your group.

3. Reconvene to discuss the activity, asking questions such as:

How did you feel during this exercise?

Was it easy or difficult? Were there any surprises?

What factors entered into your decisions about whom to talk with?

What happened to those individuals you included?

What happened to you when you were included? Excluded?

DEBRIEF

Close by pointing out that when people have a choice about those with whom they will work, the tendency may be to try to find people with more similarities than differences. In this way, we may exclude many others without realizing it.

Trading Places (from 101 Ways to Make Training Active, pg. 45-46)

o Give participants one or more Post-It notes.

o Ask the participants to write on their note(s) one of the following:

▪ A value they hold

▪ A recent experience

▪ A creative idea or solution to a problem you have posed

▪ A question about the subject matter of the training program

▪ An opinion about a topic of your choosing

▪ A fact about themselves or the subject matter of the session

o Ask the participants to stick the note(s) to their clothing and to circulate around the room reading one another’s notes.

o Next, have participants mingle once again and negotiate trades for other notes. The trades should be based on a desire to possess that value, experience, idea, question, opinion, or fact for a short period of time. Require that all trades be two-way. Encourage participants to make as many trades as they would like.

o Reconvene the full group and ask participants to share what trades they made and why. For example, “I traded for a note that Sally had, stating that she has traveled to Eastern Europe. I would really like to travel there because my ancestors are from Hungary and Ukraine.”

o Variations:

▪ Ask participants to form subgroups rather than trade notes and have them discuss the contents of their notes.

▪ Have participants post their notes in a public display (on a blackboard or flip chart) and discuss similarities and differences.

o Case Example:

▪ Introduce the activity by discussing how our society rewards conformity and minimizes, even ignores, diversity. Indicate, however, that in this activity, individuality is valued.

▪ Give each participant six Post-It notes. Ask participants to write on each a label that might distinguish them from some or all of the other participants. Examples of categories include gender, ethnicity, race, age, physical characteristics, sexual orientation, religion, place of birth, educational level, language differences, economic status, and birth order.

▪ Have participants stick their notes on their clothing and then instruct them to stand up and mingle, noticing each other’s unique qualities.

▪ After a while, invite participants to trade notes with one another. Insist that the trades be two-way and that the participants assume their new identities temporarily. For example, a male participant might trade his “gender” with a female participant.

▪ Reconvene the full group and ask for volunteers to share some of the trades they made and why.

Seeing How It Is (from 101 Ways to Make Training Active, pg. 203-204)

o Choose a type of person or situation that you want participants to learn about. You may elect to have participants experience what it is like to be any of the following:

▪ In the “minority”

▪ In a different role or job function

▪ From a different culture

▪ A person with special problems or challenges

o Create a way to simulate that person or situation. Among the ways to do this are the following:

▪ Have participants dress in the attire of that person or situation. Or have them handle the equipment, props, accessories, or other belongings of that person or situation or engage in a typical activity.

▪ Place participants in situations in which they are required to respond in the role or character they have been given.

▪ Impersonate an individual and ask the participants to interview you and find out about your experiences, views and feelings.

▪ Use an analogy to build a simulation: Create a scenario that participants may be familiar with that sheds light on the unfamiliar situation. For example, you might ask all participants who are left-handed to portray people who are culturally different from the rest of the participants.

o Ask participants how the simulation felt. Discuss the experience of being in someone else’s shoes. Invite participants to identify the challenges that unfamiliar persons and situations present to them.

o Variations:

▪ If possible, arrange for real encounters with the unfamiliar situation or person.

▪ Conduct a mental-imagery experience in which participants visualize the person or situation with which they are unfamiliar.

o Case Example:

▪ A simulation called “Instant Aging” is designed to sensitize participants to sensory deprivation and the normal process of aging. Participants are given eyeglasses smeared with Vaseline, dried peas to put in their shoes, cotton for their ears, and latex gloves for their hands. Each participant is then asked to take out a pencil and paper and write down his or her name, address, telephone number, any medication currently being taken, and any known allergies. Next, the participants are told to take a walk outside the training room, opening the door and finding their way around. The simulation involves further directions concerning the specific details of the tasks participants are asked to perform and the manner in which they are to take turns assisting each other.

Chatter (from Diversity Simulation Games, pg. 22-34)

o This is an exercise meant to help participants to experience and accept variations and behavior during small-group discussions. It should help participants to modify their conversational styles.

o Make copies of the different etiquette sheets for participants (each person gets one; use as many different sheets as possible)

o Distribute etiquette sheets. Get the attention of the participants. Shuffle the etiquette sheets, and give one to each participant. Ask them to keep their sheets hidden from each other.

o Tell the participants to read their sheets. After they have read and understood the instructions, ask them to fold the sheet and keep it safe.

o Form groups. Ask the participants to organize themselves into groups of four to six members. Suggest that they form groups with people they do not know.

o Ask groups to start a conversation. Tell them that they can discuss any topic, including politics, sports, television shows, books, or the meaning of life. Inform them that the conversation will end in about 5 minutes.

o Tell the participants to use their etiquette sheets. Throughout the conversation, they should follow the instructions on their sheets. However, they should not divulge the contents of their etiquette sheets.

o Reshuffle the groups. Blow a whistle after about 5 minutes, and ask the participants to form themselves into new groups. These groups should start a new conversation, and the participants should continue to follow the instructions on their sheets. This conversation will also last for about 5 minutes.

o End the conversations. Blow the whistle after another 5 minutes. Ask the participants to stop talking.

o Ask the participants to guess one another’s instructions. Tell them that there are twelve different etiquette sheets and that it is possible for more than one person in the group to have the same sheet. Ask the participants to think back silently about their conversations and to guess what instructions each player had on his or her sheet. After a brief pause, ask the participants to take turns telling their guesses to the rest of the group. However, no participant should confirm or deny anyone’s guesses at this time.

o Tell the participants that some etiquette sheets said, “Be yourself.” Ask the participants to look around and guess if any member of the group was acting as himself or herself. Use this step even if you know that no one received this etiquette sheet.

o Ask the participants to tell one another what their etiquette sheet said. Tell them to congratulate the member of their group who had the most correct guesses.

o Possible debriefing questions:

▪ Which behavior did you consider to be the most rude or offensive? Was it one of your behaviors, or someone else’s? Why does this behavior offend you?

▪ What were the differences between your conversations in the first group and in the second group? Why do you think these differences occurred?

▪ Behaviors that we consider to be bizarre (or rude) may be acceptable (or polite) in other cultures. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

▪ Can you think of any conversational behaviors you exhibit that your colleagues may find distracting or strange? Can you think of any conversational behaviors in this country that people from other countries or cultures may find distracting or strange?

Exclude (from Diversity Simulation Games, pg. 35-43)

o This exercise is meant to allow participants to experience the frustrations of being left out of a group or being ignored by its members. Participants will also explore the factors associated with the behaviors of insiders and outsiders.

o Make copies of the Outsider’s Instruction Sheet for each outsider.

o Select the outsiders. Count the number of players. Using the Player Allocation Table (make a copy of this), select the appropriate number of players to be outsiders. Select these players from different parts of the room.

o Brief the outsiders. Give the selected players a copy of the Outsider’s Instruction Sheet and ask them to leave the room. Tell them to read the instructions and to wait outside until you call them.

o Organize discussion groups. Organize the remaining players into discussion groups of appropriate sizes. Ask the members of each group to seat themselves comfortably (or stand) in a circle and to have a pleasant conversation. The players can talk about any topic that interests them. This discussion will last for about 5 minutes.

o Explain the entry ritual. After the players have organized themselves into groups and have started their conversations, blow a whistle to get everyone’s attention. Warn the players that you are going to make an important announcement. Then announce that the groups can let anyone else from the outside join in their conversation, but only if the outsider uses a special entry ritual: The person who wants to join in the conversation should touch the left shoulder of any member of the group with his or her right hand.

o Stress the details of the ritual. The outsider who wants to join in the conversation should use his or her right hand and should touch the group member’s left shoulder. If either of these requirements is missed (for example, if the outsider uses the left hand or touches the right shoulder), it is unacceptable.

o Ignore the outsiders. Unless the outsider uses the correct ritual, members of the group should completely ignore him or her. They should avoid eye contact with the outsider and continue with the conversation as if nothing had happened. They should not even bother to say something such as, “Go away.” Some members of the group may feel squeamish about behaving in such a rude manner. However, it is very important that they follow this procedure.

o Model the entry ritual. Tell the players that from time to time one of them should leave their group and join some other group, using the correct ritual. You, the facilitator, may also join different groups, but only after using the correct ritual. Emphasize that unless you use the correct ritual, the groups should ignore your attempts to talk to them.

o Observe and participate. Circulate among the groups and observe the behaviors of both insiders and outsiders. From time to time, join in the conversation by using the ritual. However, don’t be blatant about the steps in the ritual or call attention to its key components. The idea is to require the outsiders to figure out what is happening. Let the conversations continue for about 5 more minutes. Encourage insiders to switch groups.

o Conclude the activity. Wait until one or two outsiders have figured out the ritual and joined the group. Blow the whistle and bring the activity to an end. Demonstrate the exact procedure of the ritual for the benefit of the outsiders.

o Possible debriefing questions:

▪ What was the most frustrating thing that happened to you as an insider? As an outsider?

▪ As an outsider, what strategies did you use to cope with rejection by the insiders?

▪ Inclusion rituals give power to the members of the inner group. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

▪ Have you ever joined an exclusive group? Why did you join them, and what did you have to do in order to join them?

▪ What types of rituals do we use to exclude others in our workplaces, at home, and among friends?

▪ How could we make it easy for outsiders to join our group?

Reincarnation (from Diversity Simulation Games, pg. 44-47)

o The purpose of this activity is to examine which differences play a significant role in people’s triumphs and traumas, and to empathize with groups whose differences are ignored or attacked.

o You will need a deck of playing cards, paper, and pencils.

o Explain to participants that you are going to lead them through a personal introspection exercise that includes imagining responses to what-if scenarios related to their lives. No person will be asked to share his or her thoughts. If anyone feels uncomfortable in the middle of the exercise, he or she can stop participating and do something else. Actually, most participants find this activity to be a positive, thought-provoking one.

o Ask the participants to seat themselves comfortably, away from each other. Suggest that they may want to use a piece of paper for responding to the first couple of questions. These are notes for oneself, and they will not be shown to anyone else.

o Use the following script. Guide the participants through the rest of the activity. Feel free to modify the language to suit your personal style.

o Beginning with this year, look back on your life. Think of your successes in personal and professional life. Take a couple of minutes to make a list of five things you have achieved—things you are proud of.

(Pause for an appropriate period of time.)

It does not matter if you don’t have exactly five achievements listed. Any number will do.

o Now look back on your past and make a list of five failures in your personal and professional life. Take a couple of minutes to note down the list of things that you wish hadn’t happened.

(Pause for an appropriate period of time.)

Once again, the exact number of items does not matter. The important thing is for you to have thought about your past triumphs and traumas.

o (Shuffle a deck of playing cards and give it to one of the participants.)

I am sending a deck of playing cards around. Please take a card, any card, and give the rest of the deck to the next person.

(Pause while each player takes a card.)

Does everyone have a card? Please look at it and note the suit: spades, hearts, clubs or diamonds.

o We are now going to construct a scenario and ask you to imagine certain things. You may close your eyes if it helps you to relax and imagine.

Think how your life would be different if you were born in an alternate universe. On this planet everything is exactly the same as on Earth. You are also the same except for one difference.

This is the difference:

If you picked a spade, you will be physically challenged in your alternate life. You will be a wheelchair-user from your early childhood. If you are currently physically challenged, you will join the ranks of the physically able people. Other than this difference, everything else will remain the same.

If you picked a heart, your gender will be different. If you are a man, you will be a woman in your alternate life. If you are a woman, you will be a man. Other than this gender difference, everything else will remain the same.

If you picked a diamond, your sexual orientation will be different. If you are straight, you will be a gay or a lesbian in your alternate life. If you are a gay or a lesbian, you will be a straight person. Other than this sexual orientation difference, everything else will remain the same.

If you picked a club, your race will be different. If you are a white person, you will be an African American in your alternate life. If you are not a white person, you will be a white person. Other than this racial difference, everything else will remain the same.

o Please take a few minutes to speculate on how your life would be different in this situation. Think of the different successes and failures on your list, and imagine how this difference would have influenced these events.

Do you feel your life would have been easier or more difficult because of this single difference?

What changes would you face in your personal and professional life?

You may refer back to your piece of paper if you want to.

Let’s spend 3 minutes imagining and visualizing the answers to these questions.

(Pause for 3 minutes.)

Thank you for participating in this exercise. I hope it was positive and filled with insight.

o Possible debriefing questions:

• Which steps in this activity were especially uncomfortable and which were especially comfortable?

• Did most of the achievements on your list relate to your career, your family, your friends, or yourself? What about your failures?

• Which of these differences do you think would have the most significant impact on your successes and failures: race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, educational level, personality type, social class, or thinking style?

• When you were imagining the impact of the difference, did you think about some specific people who belonged to that group?

• In the United States, anyone can achieve the American Dream irrespective of such factors as his or her race, gender, physical abilities, or sexual orientation. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

• Would you feel uncomfortable discussing with your colleagues the issues implied in this activity? Why?

• Some people claim that none of these differences would have made any difference in their lives. What would you say to them?

• Some people have a tendency to blame everything on their background. What would you say to them?

• What can you do to help your organization have a positive impact on the personal and professional development of everyone in spite of individual differences?

Same Difference (from Diversity Simulation Games, pg. 52-56)

o The purpose of this activity is to:

• Identify several “cultural” groups to which you belong

• Discover the similarities and differences between you and others

• Identify personal attributes that are immediately recognized and others that require time and effort to discover

• Differentiate between relevant and irrelevant attributes in a given situation.

o You will need copies of the People Attributes handout, a deck of playing cards (arranged with the four aces on top, followed by the four 2s, four 3s, and so on), paper, and pencils. You will also need a whistle and a timer, and a lot of room for players to move around.

o Working the room. Ask the players to move around the room, meet one another, and hold brief conversations. Suggest that they try to meet as many people as possible during the next 2 minutes. At the end of 2 minutes, blow the whistle. Ask the participants to find a place to sit.

o Listing group memberships. Ask the players to make a personal list of different groups (such as committees, teams, professional associations) to which they belong. Tell the players to include informal groups that share various values or skills (such as the accounting profession or science fiction fandom). Announce a time limit of 1 minute for this activity. At the end of 1 minute, blow the whistle to get everyone’s attention. Ask the players to fold their lists and place them somewhere safe.

o Round 1. Identify physical similarities. Ask the players to organize themselves into triads in such a way that all three members of the triad resemble one another as closely as possible. Tell the players to move around to locate others who could be mistaken for their twins, doubles or clones. Announce a 2-minute time limit. At the end of this time, blow the whistle. Ask the players to stay in their triads.

o Concluding Round 1. Scan the triads and select the group whose members have the closest physical resemblance to one another. Ask this triad to come to the front of the room so the other players can observe the similarity. Lead a round of applause for this triad.

o Round 2. Identifying different speech patterns. Tell the players that they are going to reorganize themselves into new groups. This time, each player should pair up with another player whose voice and speech patterns are very different from his or her own. This difference may involve loudness, pitch and quality of the voice and the pace, accent, inflection and gestures of the speaking style. Tell the participants that they have 1 minute to complete this pairing up process.

o Concluding Round 2. After a minute, blow the whistle. Ask the pairs to stay with each other. Randomly select a pair, ask them to come to the front of the room, and have them take turns giving a brief report on how they went about discovering each other. After this report, comment on the differences in their voices and speech patterns. Lead a round of applause for this pair.

o Round 3. Identifying similar educational backgrounds. Ask the players to regroup themselves into triads in which the members have a similar educational background. This attribute may involve the level of education, the major subject areas, the type of school they attended, and other such factors. Announce a 2-minute time limit for this activity.

o Concluding Round 3. Blow the whistle at the end of 2 minutes. Randomly select a triad. Ask its members to explain the similarity in their educational backgrounds. Lead a round of applause for this triad.

o Round 4. Identifying different leadership philosophies. Ask the participants to reorganize themselves into groups of four players who have major differences in their leadership philosophies. Explain that the players need not be leaders but should have some preferences about how leaders should behave. Announce a 3-minute time limit. Tell them this extended time limit will permit them to talk with more participants and thereby maximize the philosophical diversity of their teams.

o Concluding Round 4. Blow the whistle at the end of 3 minutes. Select a group at random. Ask its spokesperson to explain the differences in its’ members leadership styles. Lead a round of applause for this group.

o Reviewing the People Attributes handout. Distribute copies of the handout. Explain that the list contains a number of ways in which people may be the same as, or different from, each other. Ask the players to review the items and to compare this list with the list of groups they wrote down earlier. During this activity, quickly count the number of players.

o Forming random teams. Remove as many playing cards as there are players from the top of your arranged deck of cards. Blow the whistle to conclude the review of People Attributes. Shuffle the packet of cards, and pass it around. Ask each player to take a card, any card. After everyone has taken a card, ask all players with aces to get together, all players with 2s to get together, and so on. If there are only three people with the last number, leave them as a smaller team. If there are only one or two players with the last number, assign the extra player (or two) to some other team so that there are one or two teams with five members.

o Round 5. Discovering similarities. Ask the members of each team to talk among themselves and to make a list of ways in which they are similar to one another. Announce a 2-minute time limit. Recommend that the players use their handout to help them with this task.

o Concluding Round 5. Blow the whistle after 2 minutes, and randomly select a team of participants. Ask the members of this team to give a brief report of the ways in which they are similar to each other.

o Round 6. Discovering diversity. Ask the members of the teams to talk among themselves and to make a list of ways in which they differ from one another. Once again, recommend the use of the handout. Announce a time limit of 2 minutes.

o Concluding Round 6. Blow the whistle after 2 minutes, and randomly select a team of participants. Ask the members of this team to give a brief report of the differences among them.

o Round 7. Discovering Relevancy. Tell the teams that they have been appointed as a special committee to create a newsletter for distribution among the workshop participants. Ask the team members to review the lists of similarities and differences and to identify three attributes that are relevant and three that are irrelevant to the task. If necessary, give an example of relevant and irrelevant attributes. Announce a time limit of 2 minutes.

o Concluding Round 7. Blow the whistle at the end of 2 minutes. Randomly select a team. Ask its members to report their relevant and irrelevant attributes.

o Possible debriefing questions:

• What was the difference between collecting information on obvious physical attributes and collecting information on subtle historical or psychological characteristics?

• What was the difference in organizing a pair, a triad, and a larger team?

• People are more comfortable with others who have attributes similar to theirs than they are with others who have attributes different from theirs. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

• In thinking about your personal attributes, what are some of the qualities you wish you had?

• What would have happened if we had used such potentially controversial attributes as sexual orientation or attitude toward abortion as the basis for grouping?

• Think of the people you spend your leisure time with. In what ways are they similar to each other? In what ways are they different?

• When people talk about cultural diversity, what people attributes are they referring to?

Disability Empathy Activities (from “Did I Deserve to Die?” a program presented at the 1999 GLACURH conference)

Dyslexia

Materials needed: a short story

How to facilitate the exercise: Write out a short story and when doing so mix up

the word order or transpose letters. Then have participants sit down at a table and

read the story out loud. Have the facilitator get visibly agitated at the participant

for the amount of time s/he is taking.

Questions to process:

• How would you feel about reading material out loud in front of your peers?

• Do you think you would need more time to take tests or complete material that is due?

• Would your emotional well-being or self-esteem be affected if your dyslexia had not been diagnosed and you just felt dumb?

Lower Body

Materials needed: leg brace, table, chair, some physical barriers

How to facilitate the exercise: Put the brace on one of the participants’ legs. Then have them try to sit down in a tight fitting desk, get out and move around a cluttered classroom.

Questions to process:

• What would be most frustrating about this disability?

• Would you be mobile enough to use stairs?

• Would you need to allot more time to get places, such as between classes on a large college campus?

Hearing

Materials needed: tape, tape player and headphones

How to facilitate the exercise: Record a short story onto a tape. When taping it, be sure to jumble some of the words. Then have the participant put on a set of headphones and listen to the story. Have the tape player on low volume. Then ask the participant to relay the story to you.

Questions to process:

• How would you feel being called on in a large lecture room if you had a hearing problem?

• What if you had a test that was given orally?

• Do you think your teacher would accommodate your needs if you asked him or her for special help?

• Do you think it would be a challenge to hear the directions that the instructor provided before a test?

Upper Body

Materials needed: ace bandage, cafeteria tray, food, glass of water

How to facilitate the exercise: Wrap one arm of the participant with the ace bandage so they only have mobility with one arm. Then have them hold a cafeteria tray and try to place food and a drink on the tray without being able to set it down.

Questions to process:

• What daily activities might be more challenging to you?

• How would you try to overcome this physical disability, get done what you want to, and still feel independent?

Vision

Materials needed: glasses that have tape on the lenses or scuffed lenses or are smeared with Vaseline

How to facilitate the exercise: Have the participant put on the glasses and try to read the provided material out loud. You could also have them try to write down their name, address and phone number.

Questions to process:

• What materials do you read on a daily basis that might be a challenge to understand?

• How would you feel if you had to read aloud to a group?

Guided Journey

(Source unknown)

(Before the presentation/program begins, hand each participant 6 index cards.)

Explanation:

Your imagination is the key instrument in this exercise of guided journey. We will be taking a chronological journey through your mind’s eye of what your life might have been like if you were gay. You may experience a variety of feelings as you take this tour. Allow yourself to examine your feelings, but try not to let your feelings distract you from participating in this exercise. Please realize that the intent of this program is not to manipulate your feelings or change who you are. The goal is to help you understand some of the feelings and experiences that someone who is lesbian, gay or bisexual MIGHT feel or have felt. The experiences that you are about to be taken through are not universal for lesbian, gay or bisexual people, but some of the themes presented are somewhat common.

On the six cards that have been handed out to you, please write a name, word or phrase which fits the following categories.

**PLEASE USE A SEPARATE CARD FOR EACH CATEGORY**

1. A person from your childhood with whom you shared secrets

2. The names of your best friends in grade school

3. A small valued material possession from you early teenage years which you used to keep in your locker

4. Your favorite place

5. A person who is close to you

6. A goal or dream

As you undertake this imaginary journey, keep looking at the cards in your hand and consider the personal meaning of what you have written. Imagine how you would feel if any or all of these things were suddenly no longer there for you.

Let’s go back to your early childhood. Choose an age at which you have your earliest consistent memories. Perhaps you’ll be four or five or six. You are sitting in front of the television, watching a show. One of the characters is Chris, a person about your age who is the same gender as you. This character is your favorite and one of the main reasons why you watch this particular show. You feel drawn to Chris. You want to be Chris’s best friend. You turn to someone that you have always shared secrets with and you say, “I love Chris.” That person makes a face at you and says, “That’s disgusting! People shouldn’t feel that way.” You are confused and scared and ashamed. Hold up the card with the name of the person with whom you shared secrets. You no longer feel that you can talk about your innermost feelings with this person. Tear that card in half.

You are now eleven years old and in grade school. Your teacher takes you and your classmates to the bathroom. As always, the teacher stands right outside the door and tells everyone to hurry up. You wonder why you and your classmates are always being rushed out of the bathroom. Of course, no one really has to go to the bathroom, so you and your friends get together and talk about the people in your class. Someone starts talking about how cute another classmate of the opposite gender is. Everyone else agrees that this classmate is good-looking and seems to be very interested in this classmate.

You, however, are not interested. You feel uncomfortable and out of place. Someone in the group laughs a little too loud and the teacher rushes in to see what’s going on. The discussion ends and you head back to the classroom feeling alone and isolated. You know that you are different from your friends and you feel like no one will understand. You don’t understand your feelings and you want to talk about them but you know you can’t. Hold up the card with the names of your best friends; you no longer feel as close to them as you once did. Tear that card in half.

You’re now fourteen. You’ve been looking forward to high school. You think that things will be different, that you will make a lot of new friends, and that you won’t feel isolated anymore. You avoid looking too closely at the classmates whom you feel attracted to. You don’t want them to call you the names you’ve been hearing for so long: fag, queer, dyke, lesbo. You don’t want people to think that you are gay. You heard about how weird gay people are from your parents, your friends, and religious leaders in the community. All the gay people you’ve ever seen were on television and were always villains or being killed. You remember one movie in which a bunch of criminals take over a subway car. One of the passengers is obviously gay and gets abused for it. Later on in the movie, he gets killed and no one seems to care. You don’t know what you are, but you know you can’t be gay. You tell yourself that it’s just a phase and you’ll soon grow out of it.

One day, while in line for lunch, you forget and you stare at someone whom you find very attractive without even realizing what you are doing. Someone sees you looking and calls you a “queer.” It’s starting over again: the names, the hatred, the feelings of worthlessness. Later, you go back to your locker and you find that someone has broken into it and threw ketchup all over your books. You find a note saying, “All gays should die.” One of your most prized possessions that you had kept in your locker has been stolen. You feel like the whole world hates you and you wonder why this had to happen to you. You think things would maybe be better if you were just dead…you’ve been thinking of suicide a lot lately, but you’re also very scared of doing it. Hold up the card with your prized possession on it—it is gone forever. Tear that card in half.

You’re now eighteen and after years of hoping, praying, wishing and struggling, you’ve come to realize that you really are gay. It’s not just a phase. It’s not something that you chose. It’s just who you are. You’ve just met someone named Terry, who is like you. This person is open and seems to be happy about being gay. You talk with Terry about your feelings and innermost desires. Finally, you’ve met someone who understands—someone who knows that you are not evil, sick or twisted. You feel attracted to Terry and you want to know Terry better. There’s a place you love to go to, so you suggest that you and Terry meet there later. You arrive early and wait with anticipation and excitement—this is your first real date. Terry arrives and you want to hug Terry. You start to when you notice a look of panic on Terry’s face. You realize that other people are around and that they are looking at you and Terry suspiciously. You and Terry both feel very awkward and uncomfortable and you quickly decide to leave. Hold up the card with the name of your favorite place—you no longer feel comfortable there. Tear that card in half.

You are twenty-one years of age today. Someone who is very close to you decides to treat you to dinner for your birthday. Dinner was wonderful, the food was great, the atmosphere was comfortable, and you both did some reminiscing about the past. You both laughed a lot and you come to realize how important this person is to you, and you no longer want to keep part of your life secret from him/her. You’ve decided that the first chance you get tonight, you are going to tell this person you are gay.

Soon the opportunity presents itself. You start out telling the person how important he or she is to you and that there is something you have wanted to tell him/her for a long time. Finally, you say it, “I’m gay.” The person looks back at you for a second and says nothing. He/she finally says, “Well, that’s OK. You’re still my friend.” But something seems different now. There’s an awkward silence and this person obviously feels uncomfortable. You try and break the tension with a joke, but it doesn’t work. This person is looking at you as if you were a total stranger and you feel like the bond has been broken. Hold up the card with the name of the person who is close to you. Tear this card in half.

You have graduated college and you are ready to enter the “real world.” You’ve just been hired for a job that you are really excited about. You start immediately. You feel pretty good about yourself. You’ve made it through the tough times, yet you have a healthy outlook on who you are and what you can accomplish.

You are now proud of being gay. Your pride comes not solely by virtue of your sexuality, but also that you are a survivor in the wake of oppression and prejudice. You’ve been able to unlearn many of the lies and distortions about what it means to be gay. You think about your goals and your dreams and you feel like someday you will be able to achieve them.

Later that evening, you meet some of your friends at your favorite club. You want to celebrate your good fortune. You all have a few drinks and a few laughs. You decide to leave a little earlier than everyone else, because you want to be ready for your new job tomorrow morning. You say good-bye to everyone and walk through the parking lot. Three men step out of a nearby car and approach you. They have baseball bats. One of them says, “Say good-bye, queerbait,” and swings his bat at your head. The others join in. Now hold up the card with your hopes and dreams. Tear this card in half.

**PRESENTER FACILITATES GROUP DISCUSSION ABOUT PARTICIPANTS’ INDIVIDUAL FEELINGS AND REACTIONS DURING AND AFTER THE EXERCISE.**

Pairs

20. minutes

PURPOSE Begin to explore all of your identities with someone and practice your active listening skills

EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS: None

PROCEDURE

1. Go over ground rules. Most important, Maintain Confidentiality!!! You can come up and create rules together!!!!

2. Explain what is culture and what makes people diverse.

• Culture is: the shared norms, traditions, customs, arts, history, folklore, and institution of a group of people

• Come up with examples: Ethnicity, race, gender, age, socioeconomic status, religion, physical abilities, sexual orientation, nationality, or region

• Come up with examples of not ones typically thought about: Athletes, musicans, Student, employee, large family, technology driven individuals, cooks, sorority/fraternity

3. Ask participants to pair up with someone whom they do not already know (or know the least) and who appears to be the most cultural dissimilar

4. Review the list you will use:

• Gender

• Race

• Ethnicity/Nationality

• Religion

• Sexual Orientation

• Class (raised): Less than enough, more than enough, enough

• Other: all of the examples under the not so typically thought of

• Dominant Culture: this is ever changing but it is what is most salient in your life at this moment.

5. Role Play with someone and really point out what makes a person an active listener and what the communicator does (how he or she goes beyond the descriptors

6. Have students do this activity and switch (3-4 min each), come back together for debriefing

DEBRIEF Questions you might want to ask: Was it hard being an active listener? Why or why not? Did someone’s partner show good active listening, what was good about it? Did you learn something new about yourself? Did you learn something new about your pair?

First Thoughts

10. -15 minutes

PURPOSE To begin to understand how our mind works and where stereotypes come from

EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS: blank board and marker

PROCEDURE

1. Introduce the program

2. Have group brainstorm on what they think about when using the group “martians”. People should be sharing their thoughts aloud. If they are having trouble repeat the word a few times, you may also interchange it with aliens.

3. None of you have met one but yet you have first thoughts about them? We use this group because it won’t often any group but is it true to say that you might have first thoughts about groups that you do interact with.

4. Again, where do they come from

5. Draw “Record” show them their life span, and say “what are the sources who have given you information about groups” Think about it outside of Martians. Think about different genders, ethnicities, religions you are not apart of.

6. Compile a list of sources

DEBRIEF

Close by asking the following questions: How many of you have NEVER been influence by at least ONE of the sources? So its fair to say that you do carry opinions. Its good to know that our records on different groups don’t make the person. You have to build relationships

1. Follow up with a “building relationship activity” such as “pairs” or “Carousel”

Caucuses

30. Minutes (depending on size of group)

PURPOSE To give students a voice to share what stereotypes bother them about a identity group that THEY belong to

EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS: large easel paper for each group, markers for each group

PROCEDURE

5. Explain that as a group you would like to set the tone on what bothers them.

6. GO OVER GROUND RULES (Maintain Confidentiality is most important)

7. Have group brainstorm together of a list of groups they belong to that they would like to defend the following question to: “What you never again want people to say think or do toward or about your group” Write the question and make sure it is visable for them to think about.

8. Ask students to ONLY select ONE group from the list. It is ok if they are the only one that selected that group.

9. Break into their group (if they are a single you will pair them with another single and the person will be the writer for the other… they are not to add input if they do not belong to that group. Come up with a bulleted list of “what you never again want people to say think or do toward or about your group”

10. Before people share, remind audience to be respectful, sometimes things might sound funny or absurd but people have wrote it on their list because it bothers them. For the speakers, state that there is no need to defend why they wrote it down on the list and to simply read off their complied list.

DEBRIEF Close by stating that you hope this activity has allowed you the insight on the things people can’t stand about one particular group they identify with. The goal for this was to set the tone and you hope that everyone will be respectful of the individuals who are sharing this floor or room

1. Analyze the Media – Record and play any reality TV show and have students press a button or raise a red flag when a sterotype is being negatively or positively reinforced. Talk about it.

2. Cross the Line or Stand Up. Give you a list of questions that encourage your group to do a bit of sharing. You can do this silently or have them share while doing the activity. Topics can become deep.

3. Carousel. There is an Inner Circle and Outer Circle. Choose a topic to discuss and compare opinions/beliefs.

4. BafaBafa (activity pieces can be provided by International programs) (and I suggest joining with another RA and Floor). 2 separate wings are given a tape creating a culture and then spend time visiting cultures.

30 days Series

45 minutes

PURPOSE 30 Days puts ordinary people in a world opposite of the one they know, trying to challenge their comfort zones and examine their biases as they never have before. This video will allow give students the opportunity to question and examine their own biases in a very none confrontational way.

EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS: The video (located in Residence Life)

PROCEDURE Have students watch the video and process the following questions.

1. Were you aware of the problems this group must face on a regular basis?

2. How is the situation different from your life? Would you have felt uncomfortable? What barriers would you have to overcome?

3. Would doing something like this be something you could ever imagine doing.

4. Silently or possibly with a partner share what group you know little about and carry biases about?

DEBRIEF Encourage them to think about who is missing from their circle of every day life or who’s perspective they might not know a lot about. This is a great program to put on right before the spring term and a great way to promote Frankly Speaking where they can have an opportunity to get connected to someone who is culturally dissimilar. For more information you can have them go to noctrl.edu/multiculturalcampus

Media Maddness

45 minutes

PURPOSE To show students how stereotypes are reinforced through the media. To show how the media is so influential in our thought process

EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS: cable TV and red paper or some sort of buzzer

PROCEDURE

1. Explain that students are to buzz or raise their red paper when a stereotype was just enforced. Have them write down how many times they think the groups cards will go up.

2. Have students watch TV for either 15-20 minutes, changing the channel (commercials and shows are all appropriate

3. Process the following questions like: How many of you estimated the right amount of times the card went up. How might these TV shows influence people when the show is turned off? How many of you had thought about all the details of a show and just how much stereotypes are reinforce.

DEBRIEF Close by suggesting they be conscious of what’s often solicited to our unconscious.

Cross the Line

45 minutes – 1 hour

PURPOSE To surpass surface level relationships, confront differences, appreciate similarities, reflect upon personal identities

EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS: Sheet of questions. See below sample

PROCEDURE

1. Go over guidelines: Safe and respectful atmosphere, no talking, complete silence, self disclosure, and don’t worry about grey areas, make the choice and either step in or not, Finally MAINTAIN CONFIDENTIALITY

2. Have students either get in a line or in a circle with the purpose of simply stepping in the circle or crossing the line. Give a moment so people can process who has stepped in or has stayed out from the circle.

3. Call out specific categories, labels, or descriptions. All those who believe they fit the item I just read will cross the line and face their peers. (for example… GRCs). Recognize those across from you and those next to you. Realize impacts, differences, and similarities. Allow yourself to experience the exercise.

DEBRIEF Reminder of what is said/ shared in the space stays there. If you choose to talk with someone make sure its not ABOUT someone. You may want to ask questions if it’s a small group on how that made you feel.

Sample Questions for Cross the Line

Random:

1. We’ll start off with something easy… Cross the line if:

2. You are a female

3. You are a sophomore

4. You are a junior

5. You are a senior

6. You are a returning RA

7. You have visited another country

8. You have never flown in an airplane

9. You own a car

10. You are a Cubs fan

11. You are a White Sox fan

12. You don’t follow Major League Baseball

13. You like country music

14. You received a 3.5 or higher GPA last semester

15. You feel like you need to study more than the average student

16. You have been in love and been hurt by that relationship

17. You have been on an athletic team

18. Your hometown is not in Illinois

19. You were born in another country

20. You do not eat meet

21. You consider yourself a quite person

22. You are under 21 years of age

23. You speed when you drive

24. You have committed any type of crime

25. You chose your major because you feel it is your life’s calling and is a rewarding path

26. You chose your major because you feel it will help you make a lot of money

Religion:

27. You are catholic

28. You are Jewish

29. You are Muslim

30. You are protestant

31. You are any other religion not yet mentioned

32. You are Atheist or Agnostic

33. You consider yourself to be a spiritual person

34. You are still unsure if you believe and/or do not know what role religion plays in your life

Family:

35. You would describe your family as working class

36. You would describe your family as middle class

37. You would describe your family as upper class

38. You feel embarrassed at times by the economic status of your family

39. You are the oldest child

40. You are the youngest child

41. You are the middle child

42. You are an only child

43. You are adopted

44. Your parents are divorced or separated

45. You were raised by a single parent

46. You were raised by a grandparent or other relative

47. One or more of your parent’s are deceased

48. You were raised by someone other than mother and/or father

49. You are the first in your family to go to college

50. You were raised in a home with extended family

51. Your family has a history of alcoholism

52. Your family has a history of drug use/addiction

53. You have a family member who is or has been incarcerated

54. You have a history of mental illness in your family

55. You have had a friend or family member attempt or commit suicide

56. You have lost someone close to you due to cancer or another terminal illness

57. You know someone who is living with or has passed away from HIV or AIDS

58. You have lost a family member because of war

59. You have lost someone because of gang violence or hate crimes

60. You feel excessive pressure from your family to succeed

61. Your parents/guardians pressured you to chose a specific major/career path

Politics:

62. You consider yourself to be conservative in your political views

63. You consider yourself a democrat

64. You consider yourself a feminist

65. You consider yourself to be a minority

66. You agree with communist or socialist views

67. You believe there is too much sex in the media

68. You believe a woman should be able to have an abortion no matter what

69. You agree with affirmative action

70. You think gays and lesbians should be able to have legal unions

Sexuality:

71. You identify as heterosexual

72. You have a family member who is homosexual, bisexual, or trans-gendered

73. You have feared speaking out as an ally because you did not want to be considered gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered.

74. You identify as heterosexual but have been mistaken for gay, lesbian or bisexual.

75. You identify as bisexual

76. You identify as gay or lesbian

77. You identify as transgendered

78. You have ever questioned your sexuality

79. You are choosing to abstain from sex until marriage

80. You have a friend or relative that has been a victim of sexual assault or abuse

81. You have had a sexual experience that you regretted

Emotional:

82. You sometimes have low self-esteem or confidence

83. You sometimes feel lonely

84. You have been made fun of for your weight or weight

85. You have been made fun of for the way you talk

86. You have a hidden or visible physical impairment

87. You have a hidden or visible mental impairment

88. You have wished you could change something about yourself

89. You have experienced suicidal thoughts at some point in your life

90. You have engaged in self-harm at some point in your life

91. You struggle with an eating disorder or issues of body image

92. You have cried at least once this year

93. You could use a hug right now

94. You have felt unsafe at school

95. You have had to fight to prove you were tough

96. You have used a racial slur

97. You worry about what the future has in store for you

Race:

98. You believe that racism is a problem in America

99. You identify as asian, east asian, south asian/Indian, or pacific islander

100. You identify as Arabic or from middle-eastern origin

101. You identify as latino/a, chicano/a, or mestizo/a

102. At least one of your parents is full blooded native American

103. You identify as African American, black, or of African decent

104. You identify as Caucasian

105. You identify as multiracial

106. You grew up in a neighborhood where everyone was the same race as you

107. You have been discriminated against

108. You are an immigrant to this country

109. You are the child of immigrants

110. You feel as if you know little about your cultural heritage

Training/RA Job

111. You like/appreciate public recognition

112. You prefer recognition in private

113. You may need support when confronting another staff member

114. You can offer support when confronting another staff member

115. You may need support when confronting a policy violation

116. You can offer support when confronting a policy violation

117. You feel confident setting appropriate boundaries with students

118. You may need help setting appropriate boundaries with students

119. You don’t always feel comfortable speaking your mind or sharing

120. You tend to feel comfortable speaking your mind or sharing

121. You like people to ask permission before giving you a hug

122. You feel comfortable receiving a huge from others

123. You feel comfortable giving others hugs

124. You are not comfortable with hugs at all

125. You feel that one person can make a difference

126. You are nervous about dealing with problems on your halls

127. You feel confident in your abilities to be an RA

128. You have made new friends on staff

129. You are looking forward to this year

130. You have not yet crossed the line

Carousel

Varies

PURPOSE To provide students the opportunity to get to know each other and each others values.

EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS: list of questions

PROCEDURE: Explain confidentiality as well as the standard rules that the group might want to enforce. Have students form an inner circle and an outer circle. The outer circle will move the right every time a question is finished being asked.

Questions could range on some of the questions in cross the line to some opinion questions. Here are a few examples: 1. What is a value system that you family holds? Has there been a time where you parents and your values conflicted, how did you handle that? What is your opinions on marriage rights for those in the GLBT community? 2. Your views on abortion? Do you recycle? Why or why not, and what is your take on global warming? FEEL FREE TO EXPAND THIS LIST

DEBRIEF Did you learn something new about any of the people you spoke with? Did you learn something about yourself?

Bafa Bafa (1 hour)

PURPOSE To show students what it is like to be “different” how difficult it might be for someone who doesn’t know the customs and norms of a place might be quickly felt out of place.

EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS: The cassettes and 2 cassette players. Two separate spaces for the different teams. The card game as well as paper and pencil for the groups. SEE FULL INSTRUCTIONS and GAME AT THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

PROCEDURE

1. Have students count off and get into 2 groups. They will go into separate rooms and begin the form there culture (by listening to the tape) You can tell them the following “This activity will unfold as we play the game but it’s intended to explore the idea of culture and will create the environment of what it feels to travel and experience and unfamiliar culture”

2. Students will take turns (first 1 from each group will switch and observe) and then try to mingle.

3. After several exchanges people get into a larger group and process

4. Processing questions might include:

o Alpha’s what do you think the Beta’s culture was? … Beta’s are they correct?

o Beta’s what do you think the Alpha’s culture was about? … Alpha’s are they correct?

o Observer what was your orginial thoughts? 1st Traveler, what were your orginal thoughts?

o How did you feel when you exchanged cultures? How did you feel when an outsider was coming in?

o Think about how this might translate into the residence halls?

DEBRIEF Goals for the student participating is as follows and can be read at the END of the activity: To experience the difficulty, challenge and perhaps interest of entering a strange culture. To learn that an observer reporting on a culture after a single visit may misinterpret what he sees, and mislead other visitors who follow him. 3. learn that it is possible to give offense in another culture without realizing it 4. learn that it is possible to be exploited and “ripped-off” in another culture 5.learn that different people may perceive the same situation in different ways depending on their cultural background 6. learn that people try to interpret foreign cultural roles and mores in terms of their own culture, and that this can obstruct the process of understanding. In the end the goal is to be thoughtful of students who may have different cultural backgrounds from you.

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