Diversity/Cultural Awareness Trainings
The Impact of Diversity
and Difference: On the Workplace, On Ourselves
(4 or 6 hours)
Prejudice is learned and then reinforced by our families, friends, the
media, and many other everyday influences. In the face of all these incomplete
messages, how do we learn to see ourselves and others for who we really are?
This experiential workshop dives headlong into these issues, and asks us to
explore not only the values we hold toward others, but how understanding
ourselves is the key to respecting each other.
“Colored” Lenses: the Impact of Perception and Assumption (4 or 6 hours)
We don't see reality as it is: we see it as we are. What we perceive or notice are the details and interpretations that our “lenses” – the filters formed by our identities and life experiences - focus on. How we interpret that information has a profound impact on how we experience ourselves and others: it can impact our respect for others and ourselves, hiring patterns, workplace culture, even our personal relationships. This experiential workshop challenges participants to examine the complexities of our own identities, and to better understand how who we are affects how we experience both ourselves and others.
A Generation without Hate: Helping Ourselves and Our Children Understand Diversity (2 hour seminar or 4-hour workshop)
How do we prevent the passage of racism, sexism, and other forms of devaluation to future generations? This model focuses on the messages our children learn from us as teachers, parents and role models, and what we can do to both convey messages that celebrate diversity, as well as to promote curiosity about differences.
Diversity in the Workplace: One Company, Many Cultures (4 or 6 hours)
This training seeks to explore and clarify the ways in which various cultures interact and impact on the workplace. We may think we “leave our bags at the door” when we come to work, but as humans it is inevitable that who we are will affect how we interact with our colleagues. This training incorporates a simulation game that specifically addresses the issue of cultural conflict in the workplace.
Note: diversity trainings can also address issues specific to various areas of diversity, such as gender, age, religion, (dis)ability, race/skin color, sexual orientation, physical appearance, and other topics. At the client's request, focus is tailored to specific needs by the exercises chosen as well as the questions asked throughout the selected exercises.
This full-day, interactive workshop takes on a topic frightening to many caregivers and service providers: the very real risks of adolescent suicide. The combination of developmental stage, hormonal changes, and self-esteem variances put this population at greater risk for suicide than almost any other, yet there are also concrete ways of providing support to teens who may be at risk for self-harm. By the close of the workshop, participants will have a deeper understanding of adolescent emotional development; potential warning signs of suicide risk; and practical interventions to provide the best chances for the adolescent’s survival through such a critical and challenging time.
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and questioning (g/l/b/q) adolescents are a population very much in need of allies: over one-third of all teenage suicide attempts are made by this population, and over one half of homeless adolescents are also part of this same group. This highly interactive workshop addresses common myths around same-sex relationships, and how service providers can be allies, regardless of religious or other concerns. Questions around language, identity development, and resources will be addressed, and participants will leave with a more clear understanding of how to work with teens in same-sex relationships (or who identify as g/l/b/q), as well as why being an ally to this group is inextricably linked to healthy emotional development for all adolescents.
This training addresses the complex issues around domestic violence, including recognizing the signs of an abusive relationship, what the cycle entails, why victims stay, and what we can do if we or someone we know is in an abusive relationship. The workshop can be tailored to address workplace-specific concerns.
This training provides a thorough and down-to-earth explanation of HIV transmission. Many of the fears regarding HIV infection survive because of incorrect information: knowing the facts can decrease the sense of isolation felt by many HIV+ individuals, as well as help everyone understand what puts us at risk and what does not. The training can include legal information when conducted in a workplace setting.
Stress
Management for New Yorkers: Avoiding Burn-Out
(3 hours)
This highly interactive, fun, relaxing workshop will help participants recognize
life stressors, stress triggers, and their personal responses to stressful life
conditions. We will explore the impact of stress on both professional and
personal lives, and participants will practice and walk away with practical
tools to reduce stress. Participants are invited to wear comfortable clothing,
if appropriate.
The Power of Communication: Say What You Mean and Get Results (4 or 6 hours)
The ways we communicate with our words and body language can truly "make us or break us," especially on a professional level. What we say and how we say it are the most important factors in how others perceive us, and can also escalate or de-escalate potentially difficult situations. This interactive training will help participants understand their own communication style, as well as how to communicate with others more clearly, assertively, and effectively.
Do you know what you want to say, but not how to say it? How can you ensure maximum participation and involvement from your staff/audience? How can your presence command not just respect, but interest? This interactive training helps individuals hone their respective presentation styles, maximizing strengths and identifying areas for growth. Participants will learn how to maximize group involvement, engage visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners, and how to deal with challenging participants. The use of humor, self-disclosure, and visual aids such as flipcharts, PowerPoint, and video will also be discussed.
The laws around sexual harassment are relatively clear-cut, but they also litigate the most severe forms. Workplace policies tend to address subtler forms of harassment and hostile work environment in order to create a workplace where people feel comfortable, and it is essential that employees be aware of these “gray areas.” This interactive workshop utilizes video footage to engage participants in discussions around what is and is not considered sexual harassment, and what the responsibilities of a manager might be in creating a harassment-free workplace.
Sexual Orientation, Identity and Behavior: Myths, Facts, and Definitions (3 or 6 hours)
What does it really mean to be lesbian, gay, or bisexual? How does someone know if they are? Is the identity just about sex? All these questions and many more will be addressed in this thought-provoking, plain-speaking, informational program.
This training addresses the often sensitive and misunderstood experience of being a gay, lesbian, or bisexual employee. Because gays, lesbians, and bisexuals are often part of an invisible minority, awareness of their experience in the workplace is essential to create an atmosphere where all staff feel welcome and respected.
Time Management for New Yorkers: Making the Most of the Time You Have (4 or 6 hours)
Let's face it: managing time as a New Yorker isn't quite like managing time anywhere else. In the city that never sleeps, how can we learn the difference between using our time efficiently, and unrealistic expectations of what we can accomplish? This training addresses the issue of time management from several different angles: we discuss procrastination and its causes, the effects of physical disorganization and how to create a system that works for you, and tools for dealing with the greatest challenges to managing time well.
Train the Trainer (one or two days)
This training provides a comprehensive, interactive tutorial in training facilitation. Topics covered will include placement of activities, use of self, how to manage challenging participants, and will give participants ample opportunity to exchange ideas regarding icebreakers and other “tricks of the trade.” Depending on the number of participants and the length of the training, time will be allotted for participants to model a training module and be given constructive feedback.
What's Love Got to Do with it? Healthy Relationships and Sexual Readiness (1 to 3 hours)
Feelings of love and attraction can be intense, or sometimes we're not sure how we feel, but there's a sense of pressure to be sexual in a relationship. This honest, interactive workshop gives teenagers a chance to talk about their feelings regarding sex, dating, and relationships in a safe, supportive, confidential environment, and to ask any questions they might have on these sometimes awkward topics.
Working with Survivors of Rape and Sexual Assault (6 hours)
Surviving any violent act is traumatic. Rape and sexual assault, however, can be among the most traumatizing: the perpetrator uses an intimate, sexual act to commit the violence. Working with a survivor of rape or sexual assault is a very delicate and sometimes difficult process. This interactive training helps service providers understand the trauma cycle for survivors of rape or sexual assault, as well as how to best help someone recover after the incident. Legal definitions, male survivors, gay and lesbian survivors, and secondary victims will also be discussed.