It may seem as if words like diversity, equity, and inclusion are popping up everywhere, but what do they even really mean? And WHY are they popping up everywhere? Do good people even need to have this conversation or is just being kind good enough? In this workshop we explore what we mean by diversity, equity, and inclusion and why there’s more to it than just being fair or nice.

In this workshop we unpack how implicit/unconscious bias forms in the brain, then learn and practice new skills for identifying and actively undoing implicit bias programming.

Every person on Earth has a gender identity, a gender expression, and a sexual and/or romantic orientation. During this workshop participants learn what each of those elements of identity are and how they impact each of us in daily life from our workplaces to our families to our community and social structures. If you’re looking for Gender & Sexuality 101 or LGBTQ+ 101, you’ve found it. But this training will expand participant understanding beyond LGBTQ+ identities and into the ways gender and sexual orientation impact everything any of us do.

Recruiting & Retaining LGBTQ+ Employees
Creating an LGBTQ+ Inclusive Workplace
Creating LGBTQ+ Inclusive K-12 Schools
Trans and Nonbinary Identities & Experiences
Asexual Identities & Experiences
LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Medical Fields
Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth
Sex Ed Basics for Adult Health & Wellness
Gender in Early Childhood Development

…and more

Many of us have not had an opportunity to spend much time considering the social aspects of our identities. And to even begin reflecting on what pieces make us up we would need a guide on what pieces there are to consider. This workshop offers a structure for examining individual social identity. With that information, we will begin to explore how our social identity pieces interact to form the experiences we have in the world. And from there we can begin to analyze the systems of power that create and maintain inequity.

Once you understand oppression and equity and can identify elements of unconscious bias in day-to-day living, it’s time to brainstorm a strategy for moving toward a more just world. Within the specific work that different departments of your organization do, what diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice elements need attention? What are easy wins? What are long term needs that will require longer processes to achieve? This workshop is an introduction to systemic action planning.

The primary focus of this workshop is helping others understand why the work is important, necessary, and urgent. In order to execute an action plan and make real change, ALL employees have to take ownership of and learn how to use their power. And a plan with no executive buy-in goes nowhere - so the final topic in this session is enlisting administrators/leadership to provide support and use their positions to move action plans forward.

Microaggressions. Stereotypes. Prejudice. Assumptions. Bias. There are a lot of words that describe the slights large and small that marginalized people experience routinely and that make visible the ideology of inequity that guides many of our systems. There are legal boundaries in place intended to ensure safety in the workplace, but real safety requires more than this bare minimum. And the goal isn’t merely safety anyway - it’s belonging and affirmation. In this workshop we understand the structure and content of interpersonal harm and learn concrete tools for repair and growth.

In addition to traditional DEI topics, I also offer comprehensive sexual health education for grades PreK-12 that includes a DEI lens. These lessons/workshops are suitable for school settings as well as community opportunities to provide youth with the information they need to make healthy, responsible, fulfilling choices about their sexual health over the lifespan.

Would you like to take a deeper dive into anti-racism? Need to know more about supporting LGBTQ+ folks within your organization or as clients that you work with? Are you hoping for more information about what DEI successes, challenges, and solutions are particular to your specific professional field? Custom trainings and workshops are available. Please email info@maraiverson.com if you are interested in a training on a topic not already listed here.