My Experience at the Social Justice Training Institute

Earlier this month in Long Beach, CA I had the opportunity to attend and participate in the Social Justice Training Institute. This four day institute examined social justice with a critical lens and allowed participants to immerse themselves in discussions of race and racism. We reflected on our personal and professionals experiences and looked at how our lives have been impacted by race and racism. The facilitators offered a foundation for us to work with and facilitated meaningful discussions across race membership groups and within same race membership groups.

For me, this experience was an intense learning experience that advanced my knowledge, awareness and understanding of race and racism in our society, in our work and in our personal lives. I valued the authentic discussions, relationship building with colleagues and the thoughtful work we did during the institute which transformed my thinking and approach to working with and addressing race and racism. We also discussed other types of oppression and how to address those oppressions in group and individual settings.

Overall, I found the Social Justice Training Institute to be an empowering and transformational experience. I will utilize the acquired skills, tools, my experiences and the experiences of my colleagues to impact the work I do in higher education and the life I commit myself to personally. I am thankful to have this opportunity and excited to continue educating, informing and engaging others in social justice work.

Understanding Social Justice and Diversity Workshop

On Wednesday, December 8, 2010 I had the opportunity to facilitate a workshop centered on helping Resident Assistants at Eastern Connecticut State University understand the difference between diversity and social justice. Oftentimes, both terms are used interchangeably without truly understanding the meaning and purpose of each term. The Dean of Students and his team at Eastern Connecticut State University invited me to campus to provide this workshop because they believed it would help the Resident Assistant staff learn about social justice and diversity and develop an inclusive approach to student engagement.

The workshop engaged and informed the Resident Assistant staff of the difference and how social justice and diversity can be applied within their university community. I introduced both terms with some context and a definition which was followed with experiential exercises that allowed them to work individually and in small groups. The student staff were very engaged and became comfortable in the space which allowed for reflective discussions. These discussions provided a chance for the participants to share personal experiences and how they plan to use this new knowledge of diversity and social justice in their residence halls and with their programming.

Some participants described my facilitation skills and the workshop with the following comments:

"The workshop was presented very well with many open ended questions, which I liked."

"I enjoyed David being very interactive with his workshop. He was open and accepting."

"David did a great job helping us think about how diversity and social justice play out in our lives and in our role as RA's."

To book David for a workshop or speaking engagement, please contact him directly at davidearljoneswebiste@gmail.com

2010 NASPA Region I Award Recipient

On Tuesday, November 9, 2010 I was awarded the N.E.E.E.D (The Network for Educational Equity & Ethnic Diversity) Award for NASPA Region I. The award was presented during the awards banquet at the annual NASPA Region I conference in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The award recognized me for my work to create inclusive communities and my commitment to racially and ethnically diverse students. The NASPA award criteria consisted of the following: "the award annually acknowledges an individual, member institution or individual program, which embraces the values inherent in racial and ethnic groups through commitment to individual and community understanding. Nominations may consider the constituents involved, the impact on the campus and the program goals and objectives."

It is an honor to be recognized for my work and passion. My commitment to student success is evident through my work on campus and in the community. As a university administrator and a consultant in leadership development and diversity education, I strive to provide access and resources for our underrepresented students and create inclusive communities where they can develop holistically and succeed. I am honored and grateful my colleagues believed in my work and commitment to our students by nominating me for this prestigious award.

Please visit http://www.davidearljones.com/ to learn more about my work, services and experience.

Engaging in Professional Development

Professional development is a very important component towards professional growth and advancement. Each year, I commit myself to engage in professional development opportunities at my institution, locally, regionally and nationally. These type of opportunities expand my knowledge, awareness on topics/trends, network and enables me to consume information that complements my work and experience as a student affairs professional.

Most recently, I was accepted to present at the 2011 NASPA Annual Conference in Philadelphia, PA. I will be presenting three sessions with various colleagues from across the country. The following are the three sessions that my colleagues and I will present:

Fostering the Integration of Inclusion within Residence Life

Presenters: David E. Jones, James Kohl, Ph.D, & Christyn Toomey

Monday, March 14 (8:30 AM - 9:45 AM)

Room/Venue: 109 - Convention Center

Networking with a Purpose: Increasing Your Social Capital

Presenters: David E. Jones, James Frier & Kelvin J. Harris

Monday, March 14 (12:15 PM - 1:30 PM)

Room/Venue: Franklin 6 - Marriott

Purposeful Competencies: A New Professional Roundtable Discussion

Presenters: David E. Jones, Kendall Exume, Kelvin Harris, Darren Hargrove, Franklin Soares & David Williams

Tuesday, March 15 (7:15 AM - 8:15 AM)

Room/Venue: 112 - Convention Center

I welcome and encourage you to join us at our sessions during the NASPA Annual Conference. Please visit my blog in March following the conference for a update regarding my experience at NASPA. For more information about the conference, please visit www.naspa.org.

In addition to the forthcoming presentations at NASPA, I was also accepted to attend and participate in the Social Justice Training Institute (SJTI), November 30th - December 4th, 2010. I am extremely excited to participate in this institute. SJTI is a five day institute facilitated by skilled social justice and diversity experts in higher education.

Jessica Pettitt, SJTI Coordinator, best describes the institute as a "forum for the professional and personal development of social justice educators and practitioners to expand and refine their skills and competencies as diversity practitioners and trainers." Jessica continues to highlight that "SJTI is a developmental experience that will involve personal work. Past participants have found SJTI to be an intense experience as we work to understand the dynamics and effects of race and racism and as we engage in authentic dialogue across and within race groups."

This excerpt from Jessica is very inspiring and encouraging. I am motivated to learn, be engaged and anxious to refine my skills and competencies as a diversity practitioner, trainer and workshop facilitator. I am also looking forward to meeting colleagues from colleges and universities across the country who share similar experiences and are committed to learning and infusing the work of social justice into our everyday practice.

Please visit my blog in December for new updates that will highlight my experience at the Social Justice Training Institute in Long Beach, California. For more information about SJTI, please visit www.sjti.org.

Keynote Speaker at The GRAD Mentoring Program Event

On September 29, 2010, I was the invited keynote speaker for the school year kick-off program for the GRAD (Graduation Results in Achieving Dreams) Mentoring Program in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The mentoring program focuses on developing at risk underrepresented youth (middle school and high school students) by matching these students with a mentor who can help develop them and keep our students focused on excelling in the classroom.

I had the opportunity to speak with the mentors and mentees in the program as well as facilitating a goal setting activity. I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to our youth about the importance of earning an education, setting and achieving goals, and the value of having a mentor. The entire experience during this program was moving to see the passion and hope in each of of these students. It is always rewarding to have the chance to speak to our youth and impact their lives positively.

Here are some testimonials from my speech:

"The workshop was great! It was inspirational for the youth to hear about your experiences and how you got to where you are now. Your words were very encouraging!" Ana Rivera, Program Coordinator, GRAD Mentoring Program

"Thank you for your presentation and workshop this evening. My mentee and I found it very practical and motivating." Mentor Participant, GRAD Mentoring Program

Teaching at UMASS Lowell

This semester (fall 2010) I have the opportunity to teach one of the first-year seminar courses. I am excited to work with our students in the classroom and inform them about university life and campus resources. It is always great to impact our students college experience. This opportunity will be rewarding for me as the instructor as it will also be rewarding for my students. I look forward to engaging them in our campus community with various resources, campus programming opoportunities and in-class projects and assignments which will allow them to meet other university life administrators at UMASS Lowell.

Workshop Testimony from Eastern Connecticut State University

"David's diversity workshop with my Resident Director staff was empowering, informative, engaging and will be paramount for my Resident Director staff as we begin a new academic year. David has the ability to allow participants to think about their personal experiences and how these experiences can impact our students. He was able to make the participants feel comfortable as he created a safe space for them to express their ideas and experiences. David was able to facilitate the workshop extremely well and make sure learning occurred for each participant. The Resident Directors were empowered throughout the workshop and were able to think differently about their role in residence life and student affairs. I was thoroughly impressed with David's facilitation skills and ability to influence and impact his participants. I highly recommend David for future diversity workshops. We hope to bring David back to campus to continue working with our Resident Director staff and our student staff."

Walter Diaz, Ed.D., Dean of Students, Eastern Connecticut State University

Diversity Workshop at Eastern Connecticut State University

On August, 9, 2010, I facilitated a diversity workshop for 12 Resident Directors and 1 Assistant Director of Housing and Residential Life at Eastern Connecticut State University. This workshop was part of their professional staff training as they prepare for the arrival of their Resident Assistants and opening their residence halls at the end of the month. In short, the workshop was very successful. Participants were engaged, empowered and informed!

As the facilitator, I met my participants where they were in their learning and development to help facilitate a meaningful and purposeful workshop. The personal and professional experiences shared by participants were extremely empowering and insightful. Each one of the participants valued the activities and discussions that I led. Some participants quoted my facilitator role as:

"informative"
"ability to create a trusting & safe environment with a difficult topic"
"ability to facilitate the discussion and allow learning to occur"
"non-judgmental atmosphere"
"offered teachable moments"

Overall, the workshop was well-received and participants recommended this workshop again.

Welcome to my blog

Welcome to my blog! This is where I will post updates relevant to my work. I encourage you to check back in for updates regarding my latest projects and events as well as other related information. I also invite you to visit my new website at http://www.davidearljones.com.