Leadership & Social Justice Conference (Oct. 17th)
Educational Workshop sessions
Eighteen educational workshop sessions will be offered during the Leadership & Social Justice Conference- Head, Heart, & Hands: Engage for Change.
EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP SESSION I (10:30am-11:45am)
Just Food
Location: Dante 113
Julie Welch, Legacy Garden Steward at SMC
This presentation is an interactive discussion on issues and alternatives related to food production and consumption, leading to personal and collective action regarding sustainable and just food systems using Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilema" and "In Defense of Food" as the framework. Topics will include industrial agriculture and local/sustainable practices, water use, pesticide/ herbicide use, as well as action that college campuses and individuals can take to put into practice.
Four Corners: Agent, Target, Bystander, & Ally
Location: Dante 114
Joan Cube, Intercultural Center at SMC
Maria Capitelli, Intercultural Center at SMC
In any situation of injustice, there are different roles we can play. At times, we may be the agent, the target, the bystander, or the ally. All of us play these multiple roles at different times, sometimes unwittingly. This workshop will provide participants the opportunity to reflect and discuss the choices they make in their everyday lives to intervene for justice.
Health Care is a Human Right
Location: Dante 115
Patrizia Longo, Dept. of Politics at SMC
Ethel Long Scott, Women’s Economic Agenda Project
Poverty is an economic human rights violation and we are organizing for power, not pity. We need a new movement for health justice and poverty elimination, one led by and for poor and low-income people. Thus, we seek to raise class rights and class unity/solidarity as essential principals in building a broad movement fighting for single payer, universal health care and all our Economic Human Rights. This workshop will provide participants with tools to educate and advocate for health care as a human right.
Be the Change: Turn Your Passion Into Tools for Making an Impact
Location: Dante 116
Sharon Sobotta, Women’s Resource Center at SMC
While changing the world can be a daunting task and outside the scope of possibility for any individual person, we can use our life experiences, talents and passions to inspire change or make an impact. Using the E.M.P.O.W.E.R. model, this workshop will help participants identify ways that they can strategically apply their passions and talents to promote social justice and live a life that aligns ideologies and everyday practices.
Say What? Language and Community Organizing
Location: Dante 117
Brigitte Ponce, Bonner Leader, Sonoma State University
Language is incredibly important when community organizing, therefore thinking through what words we use when talking to students, staff, and community partners is necessary. In this workshop students will analyze their word choice and think about the importance of changing their language for the good of the social change movement. We'll be showing Taylor Mali's spoken word on language and discussing how this goes hand in hand with creating a culture of inclusivity.
Reflections on Vocation: Women & Leadership for Social Justice
Location: Dante 118
Beth Hampson, CILSA at SMC / Marsha Murrington, Unity Council
Anisha Desai, Women of Color Resource Center / Cynthia Ganote, SMC Faculty Member
"What are you passionate about? What are your strengths? Where does your 'deep gladness' meet the world's needs?" In this workshop, three women who work for social justice will share their remarkable life stories in light of these vocational questions. Workshop participants will engage in dialogue with these women and participate in an exercise involving guided imagery and group discussion to consider their own career and life paths.
EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP SESSION II (1:45pm-3:00pm)
Crossing to Live: Immigration on the US-Mexico Border
Location: Dante 113
Leo Guardado, Center for Mission & Ministry at SMC
Kyle Pounder, SMC Student
Immigration continues to be a divisive issue in our communities, including our faith communities. In this workshop you will have the opportunity to learn more about immigration with a specific focus on the Arizona-Mexico Border where most migrants are dying as they cross the desert wilderness. Throughout the workshop you will be challenged to consider your own responsibility toward migrants based on your religious affiliation/beliefs and ways in which you can begin to advocate for just immigration reform.
Just Hearts & Just Work: Understanding and Responding to Labor Injustice
Location: Dante 114
Megan Colla, Founder of Just Hearts and SMC Class of 2008
Families living in garbage dumps, women sold into sex trafficking, children forced to work in sweatshops…these are only some of the effects caused by labor injustices. Learn more about these injustices, fair trade, and how you have the power to not only change lives but also the systems in which we live by: exploring economic game theory, taking part in a labor market simulation, and taking a hands-on look at a newly started nonprofit organization, “Just Hearts”.
Using True Colors Personality Assessment to Develop Strong Leadership
Location: Dante 115
Christine Oh, Career Center at SMC
Let your True Colors shine! This fun and highly interactive workshop provides a method for valuing differences and creating unity. Participants will have a greater understanding of self and others, acquire better communication skills, and learn how to create a harmonious, productive environment as a leader.
Media Creation for Community Transformation
Location: Dante 116
Raj Jayadev, Gean Melasaine, & Octavio Martinez, Silicon Valley De-Bug
Presenters will show how marginalized communities are able to transform their own destinies by creating a public voice. They will discuss how this process also transforms people as they tell their story. This workshop will show how community organizing is changing, and how media is becoming central to that change. It will also show students how they can “become” the media.
Action Planning 101
Location: Dante 117
Marshall Welch, CILSA at SMC
This interactive workshop will introduce the basics to creating and using goals statements and action plans -- a "must" for any student leader's tool box.
Using Reflection to Enhance Your Leadership
Location: Dante 118
Minh Dang, CalCorps at UC Berkeley
Do you know what you've learned as a leader? Have you stopped to reflect on your experience? In this workshop, you will reflect on what you've learned about your own leadership in order to enhance your impact. You will also learn how to lead reflection for various groups and walk away with resources for fun activities.
EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP SESSION III (3:15pm-4:30pm)
Don't Take It Personally: Mediating Conflict in a Contentious World
Location: Dante 113
Casey Flaherty, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at SMC
Pursuing justice in an unjust world means we will inevitably find ourselves entangled in conflict. From the everyday disagreements between individuals to the intractable disputes dividing entire societies, conflict is everywhere. Yet we often choose the expediency of conflict avoidance over the hard work of seeking real reconciliation and mutual understanding. In this workshop, we will learn how conflict mediation works and why those difficult conversations are worthwhile.
Faith & Justice: An Interfaith Reflection on Service
Location: Dante 114
Jennifer M. Pigza, CILSA at SMC
Why do you do service? How do faith and spirituality inform your desire to seek justice? How can interfaith collaboration enhance social change? Using tools from the Interfaith Youth Core (ifyc.org), this session will present key texts from multiple faith traditions as a springboard for discussion and reflection. Not only will participants engage in individual and group reflection, they will leave with tools for future use.
Immersions: How are We Engaging the Head, Heart, & Hands?
Location: Dante 115
Valerie Sarma, Ignatian Center at Santa Clara University
Richard Lumley, Ignatian Center at Santa Clara University
This session offers participants an opportunity for reflection and discussion on some practical challenges, successes, and lessons learned through immersions/alternative spring breaks. After individual reflection, small/large group discussion will center around participants’ experience and interests. Topics for discussion include: the structure of the immersion experience, community/university partnerships, student leadership and reflection models, and the preparation/post-immersion process. Students, staff, community partners, and faculty currently facilitating immersions or interested in developing immersions are encouraged to participate.
Leading for Social Justice: A Working Model for Making Change Happen
Location: Dante 116
Mike Bishop, CalCorps at UC Berkeley
“Social justice” is a term that is used in many ways and in many places on college campuses. How does a leader take concrete steps to making change happen? This workshop will present one framework for developing an intentional project geared toward building more healthy and just communities.
Poverty: Exposing Myths, Uncovering Realities
Location: Dante 117
Colleen Rivecca, Saint Anthony Foundation
Megan Pippet, Saint Anthony Foundation
This workshop will focus on myths and realities of poverty in the San Francisco Bay area. By exploring some commonly-held myths about poverty and about the services that are meant to help the poor, we hope that participants’ understanding of poverty will come into sharper focus. We aim to illustrate how stereotypes and misinformation can be harmful to efforts to alleviate poverty and can effect the lives of the poor through ineffective responses and social policies.
Reflections on the National Service Movement: Identifying challenges and Plotting the Course
Location: Dante 118
Wayne Meisel, Bonner Foundation
The National Service Movement began 25 years ago. What has this movement looked like? Where is it now? What are its current challenges? Where will the National Service Movement be in 5 years, 10 years? How can you engage in this movement? How might you share your talents and passions? Explore these questions at length with Wayne Meisel, the President of the Bonner Foundation.
