MAKING SPACE FOR CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER
Both in the educational sector and beyond, affinity groups can be an essential part of creating an environment where diversity is supported and valued.
Yet, without having experience with and knowledge about how to run affinity groups or a solid understanding of social justice concepts, it can feel daunting to get these conversations started.
Great news: we can help!
Our training modules (listed below) offer organizational support for your current social justice objectives or to get you started in launching affinity groups for your staff, students, or the community you serve.
"When I wonder about something, I do my homework to understand it.
When I find myself incapable, I trust those who are."
~Chris Hadfield
Talking Together for Change
TRAINING MODULES
Affinity Spaces
AFFINITY SPACES 101
Learn about the value of affinity spaces for students, faculty, leadership, parents/guardians, or employees. Understand how to create affinity spaces that support anti-oppression goals. Create a map for the objectives of affinity group work that includes practical considerations and discusses the value of affinity spaces in a school community or other workplace settings.
FACILITATOR TRAINING
Be prepared to facilitate an affinity group. You’ll be introduced to the objectives of affinity group work, explore planning considerations, consider group discussion and reflection strategies, and learn facilitation techniques for navigating difficult conversations.
Reflecting for Change
OUR IDENTITIES
Explore identity in the context of anti-oppression. Reflect on who you are by considering facets of your identity, how you view yourself as part of identity groups, and how your intersectional identities shape your relationship to systems of privilege and oppression.
SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION
Understand how oppression operates in Canadian culture. Develop confidence identifying, responding to, and eliminating oppressive attitudes, actions, and institutional practices.
WHAT’S HOLDING US BACK?
Figure out what’s holding your school or organization back from being a more inclusive place for everyone to learn and work. Use “open space” to explore what issues may be getting in the way of personal and institutional change needed to root out systemic oppression.
Building for Change
CONVERSATIONS WITH STUDENTS
When events take place that get people talking, not everyone in school communities feel prepared to respond in supportive, sensitive, and informed ways to the questions and emotional responses that arise in students. Learn strategies to facilitate difficult discussions and embrace these vital learning opportunities.
ALLYSHIP & SOCIALLY JUST COMMUNITIES
Discover institutional and personal strategies that address the often unacknowledged costs of doing social justice work. Learn what it means to be an effective ally and why they are needed. Consider what practices institutions can implement to encourage all members of an organization to equitably share in the work of creating healthy workplaces, educational institutions, and societies.