Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become vital indicators that both employees and potential candidates use to identify the most progressive, supportive, and innovative companies. Developing a DEI strategy is encouraged for businesses across all industries to track their efforts and uncover any barriers diverse employees might be facing. To fulfill the Chamber’s vision, of being a vibrant community in which to live, learn, invest, and work, the Chamber offers DEI trainings to all members and their employees free of charge.
The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce is offering Chamber members free Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) trainings. Trainings are provided by Nichelle Wash at The Guarden, which offers diversity education training for institutions, corporations, and organizations of all sizes.
Six topics will be covered this spring semester. Members may take as many sessions as they would like. These trainings will be held at The Mill (642 N. Madison St., Classroom) except for January 20th (which will be at the Chamber office - 421 W. 6th Street, Suite A) from 1:00-3:00 pm following the schedule outlined below. These will be offered at no cost and exclusively to Chamber members.
In the fall 2021 semester, the registrations filled up for the whole semester within two weeks. The members that registered have said things such as "The speaker was engaging, the content was relevant and the presentations were easy to follow and understand," "I think this type of training is a good thing for our community," "I love the environment Nichelle creates within the sessions - to break down barriers, dig in, open our minds, and find connections," and "I enjoyed the small group interactions which enhanced learning and helped me to gain a different perspective on topics presented."
In the fall 2021 semester, the registrations filled up for the whole semester within two weeks. The members that registered have said things such as "The speaker was engaging, the content was relevant and the presentations were easy to follow and understand," "I think this type of training is a good thing for our community," "I love the environment Nichelle creates within the sessions - to break down barriers, dig in, open our minds, and find connections," and "I enjoyed the small group interactions which enhanced learning and helped me to gain a different perspective on topics presented."
Register for DEI Training Sessions
Spring Semester - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training Schedule
The topics include:
- January 20: Foundational Bias & Micro-Aggressions Workshop – This workshop focuses on implicit and explicit biases and their impact on communities and the workplace. We’ll look at progressive models that unpack stereotypes and lead to marginalization. Participants will complete self-assessments and have opportunities to apply theory to practice by engaging in small group dialogue and activities that frame bias.
- February 17: Culturally-Sensitive Communication – These workshops offer an opportunity to explore how to engage in culturally-textured conversations, pursue conflict remediation, and ways to learn and unlearn triggering language. This is a time for participants to ask any questions they have that may be shaded with stereotypes and biases. This workshop also will train participants on how to better engage in community dialogue surrounding culturally sensitive conversations.
- March 17: Imposter Syndrome – There are many factors that impact “how we show up” in the workplace. In addition to salient identities, many people struggle to reconcile their internal battle with external battles which can lead to issues of imposter syndrome. Understanding this phenomenon with a cultural context will give colleagues a vantage point to facilitating inclusion, promoting leadership, and establishing best practices for engagement and communication.
- April 21: Exploring Anti-Racism – This training focuses on finding novel and practical ways to understand, explain, and solve problems of racial inequity and injustice. Rather than questioning people, this experience will beg the question “What is wrong with the policy?” Antiracist questions lead to antiracist narratives, effective policy solutions, and impactful advocacy campaigns that cut to the root of racial inequality: racist policy.
- May 19: Inclusive Excellence – This session will introduce a strategic business case for diversity to employers while reviewing best practices for delivering diversity training. During training, participants will learn about the training module to be able to implement training in their workplace and discuss how to prevent and reduce resistance with employees in order to create buy-in.
- June 16: DEI Work Session – This session will allow Chamber members to take a deeper dive into their diversity goals and strategic plan. We will spend quite a bit of time reviewing tools that are helpful for DEI education for staff, and we'll help attendees map out 6-month plans for furthering their DEI efforts. To maximize the experience, participants should attend at least 2 of the other workshops PRIOR to attending this session.
Register for DEI Training Sessions
Members are saying...
Thank you to our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Sponsors!
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