Missouri NEA partners with Nebraska State Education Association to offer these free trainings. Participants must be Missouri NEA members. Space is limited to 22 participants for each program. Interested Missouri NEA members must download and complete this application, and then email the completed application to Laurie.Bernskoetter@mnea.org by deadlines for each session. Applicants will be notified by email of their status before the program start date.
Introduction to Conversations on Race and Belonging
Each consisting of two, 2-hour sessions
Sat., March 13, 10 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m.
Early bird deadline Feb. 26, applications close March 3
Conversations About Race and Belonging
A Short Program of six sessions, each 2.5 hours
Participants in this program must commit to attend each Saturday session, and commit to organize and implement at least one conversation in your workplace or community, applying the discussion/reflection skills learned and practiced in this program.
Early Bird deadline Mar. 15, applications close March 21
All sessions on Saturday from 1-3:30 p.m.
Dates: April 3, April 17, May 1, May 15, June 5, June 12
Conversations About Race and Belonging: A Short Program is a six-session facilitated and interactive virtual program that provides a foundation for initiating and engaging in relational conversations about race, otherness, equity, and belonging in various settings: home, work, community. This program uses episodes from the podcast Seeing White (Scene On Radio, 2017, Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University) and a selection of literary works by authors of color to frame conversations about race and belonging. The Short Program builds a peer cohort through conversation, stories, racial literacy, critical thinking, and the practice of reflective and dialectic skills that support leading small group discussions on race and belonging. Registrants are expected to attend the full program and to commit to organizing and implementing at least one conversation in their workplace or community, applying the discussion/reflection skills they have learned and practiced.
Presenters:
Palma Joy Strand earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in 1978, a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1984, and a Masters in Law (LL.M) from Georgetown University Law Center 2006. Beginning in 1988, Strand taught at the University of Maryland Law School, the Georgetown University Law Center, and the Creighton School of Law. She is currently a Professor of Law (full tenured professor) in the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Program in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at Creighton University. Since 2017 she has also been teaching virtually. In 2004, Strand began facilitating conversations about race and belonging, both in the context of classes taught through the above universities and as stand-alone programs. She continues this work today.
Michele Chang earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Maryland, College Park in 1986, and a Masters of Public Health from Emory University in 1996. From about 2010-2013, she taught as a sub for elementary and middle school. Since 2016, she has served as a facilitator for conversations on race in community settings, continues to train groups to be facilitators for small group discussions on race and has designed and co-taught high school programs on race and equity. Since 2019, Chang has co-facilitated programs on race and equity specifically designed for educators and administrators.