EDI Series
As part of our commitment to support the Levitt network and our partners in building inclusive and welcoming communities, the Levitt Foundation offers a Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Speaker Series.
The Levitt Foundation believes that building community means honoring our differences, acknowledging our past, and expanding our understanding and support of one another. We know there is much to be done to combat injustice, structural racism and oppression, and we believe the arts, especially the power of free, live music in public spaces, can help bridge divides, inspire hope, and strengthen communities.
This series of trainings and workshops explores systems-based topics such as understanding implicit bias, ensuring access to audiences of all abilities, operationalizing anti-racism practices, and building equitable towns and cities. We invite you to join us to learn in community with your fellow Levitt peers from across the country, as insights from diverse experiences will lead us all towards more impactful work.
Scroll down to register for upcoming sessions and to access presentations, worksheets and other materials, and a range of resources from past sessions, below.
Upcoming Sessions
Scroll down to learn more about and register for each individual session of interest via the links below.
All sessions are 90 minutes, beginning at 1:00pm ET / 10:00am PT (unless indicated below).
TUESDAY | November 19
Spinning Straw into Gold, Part II: Responding to Microaggressions
Recognizing microaggressions is one thing—responding to them is another. When microaggressions are left unaddressed or addressed badly, both safety and trust wear down. In this 90-minute application-focused workshop, participants will learn and practice tools for addressing microaggressions in ways that build shared understanding, repair trust, and prevent future harm. If you missed the previous session (Spinning Straw into Gold: Microaggressions as Teachable Moments), there will be a short review of basic content, and you can also check out the pre-workshop resources below.
Click here to read more about the presenters of Spinning Straw into Gold, Parts I & II.
Pre-Workshop Resources:
“Microaggressions” 2-minute video
“Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life,” by Derald Wing Sue
“Microaggressions: More Than Just Race,” by Derald Wing Sue
Presenters
T.J. Jourian (he/him) is a versatile scholar, educator, consultant, and trainer with a decade of experience in student affairs. His consulting portfolio encompasses assessment and strategic planning for professional associations and nonprofits. Grounded in the experiences and knowledge of trans and queer people of color, his research focuses on race, gender, and sexuality in higher education, particularly examining masculinity, trans masculine students, and gender and sexuality centers on campuses. T.J. holds a Master’s in student affairs administration (with a multicultural education cognate) from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in higher education from Loyola University Chicago.
Romina Pacheco (she/ella) is the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at the Windward School. With decades of educational leadership experience, she facilitates learning on equity and social justice. Romina, a DEIB expert in K-12, higher ed, and nonprofits, draws from her Afro-Latina immigrant background to foster Curriculum & Instruction and Women’s Studies from New Mexico State University and an M.Ed. in Social Justice Education from UMass-Amherst.
Jay Botsford (ze/zir or they/them) has been dedicated to advocating for LGBTQ+ communities since 2002. Providing equity- and justice-focused training and consulting to service providers and institutions, Jay supports the leadership of those most impacted in effecting change within their communities and has extensive experience in the higher education, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors. Ze holds an MPH, with a focus on health equity and justice, and is passionate about community care, building accomplices (not just allies), and prioritizing healing in justice work.
Think Again Training and Consulting supports purpose-driven organizations that believe in equity, inclusion, and justice. We envision a world in which ecosystems* of organizations, communities, networks, and individuals collaborate to transform themselves and broader systems to continually move toward a world of fair, plentiful, joyful, and connected living and working conditions for all. Our purpose is to build the capacity of ecosystems to address internal and external systemic inequities with strategies to collaborate for meaningful change. We do this through:
- tailored and interactive trainings designed to address your organization’s specific needs and context
- customized consulting packages** to help your organization incorporate tools for equity, inclusion, and justice into your policies, programs, and practices
* By ecosystems, we mean that these organizations, communities, networks and individuals are in complex, multidirectional, self-reinforcing relationships.
** Consulting packages can include strategic planning, assessment/evaluation, policy development, leadership development and implementation support.
Past Sessions and Resources
Explore past sessions and access presentations, worksheets and other materials, and a range of resources from the series.