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