Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Invitation to Participate: Courageous Conversations



The Office of Fraternity & Sorority Affairs would like to invite you and your organization(s) to experience a Courageous Conversation!  If you already know about this program and are interested in applying, please fill out this google form and we can begin to process and develop your workshop.  If this is new to you, check out the facts, tell your friends, and consider joining your peers who've already had a great experience in this program!

So...What Exactly Is It?Courageous Conversations is a multi-faceted program that provides participants with the awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary to address challenging circumstances in an increasingly diversifying community. Your workshop will include an overview to the Courageous Conversations framework; an introduction (or continuation) of education regarding identities and related experiences; and culminate in a real, authentic, challenging, and courageous conversation about tough topics related to diversity and inclusion.


As an "FYI," this program is open to anyone on campus, so you can feel free to partner up with fraternities, sororities, athletic groups, or any student organization to create this experience.  

Why Would I Be Interested In This?...Maybe the better question is, why wouldn't you be interested??  Here's what your peers said their favorite parts and biggest learning moments were last semester:

"I learned the importance of speaking in group environments about issues"
"Learning that there are people outside my friend group that care about making Lehigh a safer and inclusive place"
"To embrace differences in identities and to include them for improvement"

Cool! What Can I Expect To From This Experience?Each workshop looks different because the curriculum is individually tailored to meet your goals/needs.  However, you can expect a few things:
  • Participants will not be shamed for gaps in awareness and knowledge of diverse issues and experiences in our world today
  • Your conversation will provide you with a space to learn how to better contribute to the fostering of an affirming, inclusive, and equitable community at Lehigh
  • Nitty-gritty structural stuff: the workshop will last approximately 3 hours and will be facilitated by a pair of faculty/staff members from the Lehigh community
How Can I Connect This To Other Opportunities at Lehigh?
Courageous Conversations is one of many programmatic options available to the Lehigh community.  The 5 Foundations for Student Success provide a common language for connecting experiences on campus.  This program touches upon all five, yet provides a particular connection to the following 3 Foundations:
  • Creative Curiosity: Learn to engage in conversations and develop your consciousness of a socially-constructed world.
  • Identity Development: Explore your multiple socially-constructed identities (as well as your peers) and develop a greater understanding of how those identities intersect with the world around you.
  • Collaborative Connections: Build relationships with others by exploring connections on deeper identity-based levels.
I'm In!  How Do I Apply?
Just follow this link to fill out the application - check out the questions, discuss with your group, and click submit!  Someone will be in contact with you soon after to discuss and schedule your workshop.


*If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please direct them to Carter Gilbert at cag414@lehigh.edu.