Urban Waters Learning Forum: Addressing Racial Equity in Environmental Spaces
Co-facilitated by Darryl Haddock of West Atlanta Watershed Association and Jennifer Arnold, Reciprocity Consulting, LLC
In this interactive session, we focus on institutionalized racism, which refers to the policies, practices and procedures that disproportionately benefit white people at the detriment of people of color, often unintentionally or unknowingly. We differentiate institutionalized racism from personally-mediated racism, which is the more visible direct action of prejudice, stereotypes or discrimination on the basis of race.
Goals of this session:
- Open up a conversation about how institutionalized racism shows up in environmental spaces,
- Help people make linkages between personal work and organizational work to address institutionalized racism and
- Provide support to call-out problems and take actions within your sphere of influence.
Facilitation Training
A series of interactive sessions are customized to build team cohesion and advance the organization’s work through real word practice or simplified scenarios, while building and refining facilitation and leadership skills.
This series has been customized to integrate equity and anti-racism throughout topics and exercises to build the skills needed to advance an organization-wide equity initiative. It has also been customized to build dialogue skills among community leaders in the context of community organizing and participatory research.
Session topics include:
- Setting expectations and building trust
- Creating effective agendas
- Brainstorming and getting creative
- Dialog and productive conflict
- Group decision-making
- Managing challenging group dynamics
- Emotional intelligence and mindfulness
- Equity and inclusion
- Facilitating with a point of view
- Giving and receiving feedback
- Prototyping and experimentation
Navigating Difficult Situations
In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn concepts and tools to build your skills and confidence in working with people on controversial issues. Come with your challenges and success stories to learn from each other and network with your peers.
Agenda Topics
- Understanding your audience and what triggers conflict
- Practice listening and asking clean and open questions
- Peer sharing to id ways to build connection and rapport
- Problem-solving to diffuse tense situations
- Tips for keeping things positive when responding to concerns from public meetings, written comments and office visits
Building Team Leadership and Effectiveness
In this engaging workshop, you’ll learn structures and practices to keep your teams engaged, focused and inspired to get creative and stay productive . Learn tools to address common challenges faced by all teams. Bring your team members, and we’ll workshop strategies to address your pressing issues.
Agenda Topics
- Understanding what contributes to group formation, cohesion, identity
- Practice strategies for building effective teams
- Tips for giving and receiving feedback
- Practice strategies to mend struggling teams
- Opportunity to workshop team challenges in small groups