NCLUDE — the Nebraska Community of Learners Understanding Diversity through Education — will meet from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. April 16 to celebrate the successful inaugural year of the initiative.
Registration is now open on the NCLUDE website.
“The original concept for NCLUDE was to bring as many people as possible into the conversation surrounding diversity and inclusive excellence. Enhancing communication and education was an area of opportunity identified in UNL’s diversity audit completed by Hulualani & Associates,” Marco Barker, vice chancellor for diversity and Inclusion, said.
“We wanted to figure out a way where people feel like their voices are heard, where they can come and talk and share their ideas and learn,” said Karen Kassebaum, assistant vice chancellor for inclusive leadership and learning, who oversaw this effort.
During the 2020-2021 academic year, speakers volunteered to facilitate NCLUDE meetings. Nick Pace guided participants in a reflective conversation around white and male privilege. Drawing upon some “flashbulb moments” in his own life and learning journey related to privilege and bias, Pace invited colleagues to reflect on their own experiences and identities and how we might leverage privilege in the service of others and in support of equity and justice. View the full video here.
Debra A. Hope and Nathan Woodruff, founders of Trans Collaborations, shared the story of their friendship and how it became a community-academic partnership that helps transgender and gender diverse people get better health and mental health care. View the recording here.
Aside from virtual conversation sessions, NCLUDE incorporated a reading group through which members read at least one book and shared their learning with the NCLUDE community.
The virtual celebration’s speaker schedule includes:
Lisa Pennisi, 3:30 to 4:15 p.m., who will speak on neurodiversity on campus;
Melissa Zephier Olson and Theodore Hibbeler, 4:30 to 5:15 p.m., who will speak on the impact of Indian Boarding schools on family relationships;
Jennifer Brown, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., will give the talk “How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive.”
All are invited to join the celebration meeting. Follow ODI on social media and share your NCLUDE experience with the hashtag #NCLUDE. If you are interested in facilitating a NCLUDE meeting in 2021-2022, please email diversity@unl.edu.
