Start Small and build over Time & Repetition

In our conversation surrounding "activities", I found it interesting that many folks used the text Building Cultural Competence as a springboard for new ideas that fit the specific needs of their programs and our college. This is significant to me in that the answer to building cultural competence probably doesn't live in one book waiting to be discovered. I believe the answer requires continuous thought that considers the existing culture and responds to where students/professionals are in that moment. The themes that resonated with me were:

Start Small

Time & Repetition

I agree that one workshop or one requirement or one  activity will probably not be the end all be all in terms of shifting our paradigm and becoming more confident and comfortable in engaging in dialogue around diversity, power, and difference. That being said, I have considered how I might start small - or more appropriately, start where my students are developmentally. And then be intentional to integrate opportunity for dialogue and growth over time.

PHASE 1: Student Orientation Leader (SOL) Training
As adapted from Activity 23 "Cultural Artifact" (Building  Cultural Competence, pg. 155-157):

Our SOLs have training weekly for 4 weeks in the spring semester. At each session, I will ask SOLs to introduce themselves using a cultural artifact. Each week, the level of challenge will increase a bit to help students ease into conversation about themselves and each other. We will spend time sharing either as a large group or in breakout session (based on time available).

• Week 1: Choose something that you have with you or are wearing that you think describes your culture.
• Week 2: Select an artifact from provided bin that you think describes your cultural heritage.
• Week 3: Bring in a picture/article from the internet that you think describes your cultural background.
• Week 4: Bring in a personal cultural artifact or family story that describes your personal heritage.

PURPOSE/GOALS:
--To help members of the group better understand each other
--To get comfortable talking about themselves as related to culture
--Build comfort level for SOLs to facilitate similar conversations with their new student small groups
--Introduce dialogue prior to 2-hour Diversity Training facilitated by Multicultural Affairs later in training curriculum.


PHASE 2: New Student Orientation
As adapted from Activity 41 "Inside Circle, Outside Circle" (Building  Cultural Competence, pg. 265-267):

During New Student Orientation, new students have the opportunity to spend about 40 minutes with their peers in small groups led by our SOLs. The purposed of this session is: 1] introduce students to peers that are also new and in related majors, 2] opportunity for new students to ask questions and share excitements/nerves about transitioning to UCBA and 3] SOLs to introduce the culture of UCBA to new students based on the student perspective.

We have formerly used an activity similar to this as an icebreaker during this time. SOLs use statements like "I love Skyline Chili", "I am from Cincinnati", "I have been to a Cincinnati Reds game" to help introduce the group and establish some commonalities and differences amongst participants. I imagine we could eventually transition to some more culturally specific questions in this activity to introduce comfort in dialogue around difference. Ex. "I can speak more than one language", "I have family that lives outside the US", "I am the first in my family to go to college." This could transition to the dialogue component with some reflective questions and debriefing with participants.

PURPOSE/GOALS:
--Students learn similarity and differences about self and others.
--Students have opportunity to respond to emotional reactions to "in-group" and "out-group" status.
--New students are introduced to a culture of dialogue about difference from their first activity on campus.
--New students can learn about the culture of UC Blue Ash and their peers.
 

Cultural Facilitator

Culture informs decision-making, feelings, ideas, and perspectives. Culture informs self and "other" identities. Culture is created within classrooms and programs, but also permeates them. I personally believe that culture can be created and adapted based on the players, and that a cultural facilitator provides context for old guidelines whilst adapting new ideas that can be integrated into new culture.  A cultural facilitator then, in my opinion, is responsible to:

1. Recognize that culture exists and may be experienced/perceived/influential in a variety of ways. To be self-aware of cultural interpretation and understanding.
2. Create intentional and safe space to explore and understand similarities and differences, as well as to provide context for existing culture.
3. Challenge "Truth" (with a capital T) to help in exploration of multiple truthS.
4. Balance the challenge with exuberant support of the learning process and attempts to make meaning of immediate surroundings.

At UC Blue Ash specifically, I see my role as a cultural facilitator most prominently as the facilitator of orientation. I am tasked with introducing the culture of our campus to new students that have varying truths of understanding and to help them in being comfortable to participate and contribute to the culture of our community. As a cultural facilitator, I expect open and authentic personal truths be brought to the table, as well as open minds. I hope to be part of the conversation and development of the culture.