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What is a Diversity Institute on Wheels
A Diversity Institute on Wheels is a transportable seminar that uses the community as a classroom. Participants travel on a high-tech bus to designated places in ALANA (African, Latino, Asian and Native American) neighborhoods to engage with community leaders of color.
Using Bus presenters, panel discussions, cultural performers, and community tours, participants are immersed into a day of unique cultural experiences and discovery that may forever change how they view Minority communities.
Many people have never visited different ALANA neighborhoods. The Institute provides a great opportunity for them to see areas of their city they may be unfamiliar with. The Community Tour showcases places, monuments and sites that are significant in ALANA communities. Participants typically react as both students and tourists and enjoy this part of the Institute very much.
Because the Institute introduces participants to new contacts and new perspectives, it creates a rare opportunity for exciting and vital partnerships.
Why the Institute is so important
It is essential that our colleges and universities start preparing for the increasing racial diversity in the U.S. by making it possible for their staffs to collaborate with communities of color—the place their future students will be coming from.
Proactive campuses that are committed to diversity understand the profound changes that the new demographics will bring. Many are sponsoring Diversity Institutes to improve relationships with their ALANA communities. The Diversity Institute has been called a moving classroom in which faculty, staff and administrators travel by bus to spend a day in the heart of communities of color.
But it’s not your typical road trip. In fact it’s unlike any bus tour that most faculty and staff have ever been on. Participants are provided a contemporary perspective on diversity and inclusion from community advocates, business owners, educators and cultural artists. Participants are engaged from the moment they step on the bus through creative bus activities, inspiring videos, music and lectures in between community stops.
“The institute takes people out of their elements and immerses them in a day of experience and exploration to introduce them to people and concepts they can build upon to promote multicultural change within their personal and professional lives.” -Capital City Hues Newspaper
If you’re interested in sponsoring one of the most innovative human relations activities in the country, then you need this book.
Diversity Institute Tip Symbol: Every time you see this symbol in the book a diversity tip is provided. We encourage you to use these tips to make your Institute an unforgettable experience
Institute Benefits
The Institute offers both short term and long term benefits for campuses ranging from developing new partnerships to receiving tips on how to relate to students of color. Faculty find NEW places to take students on field trips and discover new community resources.
At the end of the day you may discover organizations that can help promote your academic and community service programs. From the communities’ perspective, ALANA leaders will have learned more about your institution and mission.
There are also the intangibles–a heightened awareness of the value of recognizing cultural diversity and the opportunity for colleges to go into the ALANA community to listen and to learn so they can become more sensitive and responsive as an educational institution. Just imagine the respect your campus demonstrates by seeking ideas from leaders of color to help your school define and fulfill your college’s commitment to diversity.
Participants say the institute is transformative
During the closing ceremony participants are asked to share what the institute meant to them. Don’t be surprised if this event elicits a roller coaster of emotions and opinions from attendees ranging from “awesome” to “inspiring.” Attendees often say they learned things about their community that they never knew before and were leaving the Institute with a major shift in their perspective. Many have called it an “unforgettable multicultural experience.”
Keep in mind they have just gone through a day that should have challenged their perceptions, touched them emotionally, reached them intellectually and inspired them in ways that causes them to want to do more. Be sure to ask the question, where do we go from here. It’s important that the Institute be viewed as the first step in outreach, not an ending. Challenge the participants to use the Institute as a spring board for more engagement with ALANA communities of color.
The Diversity Institute is also fun!
Although the Institute provides plenty of time for serious discussion, it is also very enjoyable. When you have to keep people engaged for eight hours, you want to make sure that the experience is not only educational, but fun. It’s important to have activities on the bus for participants to be involved in. This book shows you how to plan your community stops carefully and invite presenters that will inspire your participants. You’ll have the information you need to plan the entire experience intentionally so that it touches participants both intellectually and emotionally.
To guarantee that everyone has a great time while going through this incredible day, just follow the INSTITUTE RULES:
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The Gift of Culture is an added bonus for participants and ensures that folks will have a great time. This program is typically offered during lunch time which is also presented as a gift of culture. We encourage you to offer an ethnic lunch. Soul, Mexican, Chinese and Native American dishes can be catered or simply feature one group’s cuisine; for example a soul food buffet along with a lesson about the food.
While people are eating, the facilitator explains that culture is the glue that holds all communities together and that each community is enriched with tremendous talent. Then let the performers do their thing. The gift of culture is a great way to break up the day of panels and hard-hitting discussion by letting your attendees sit-back, relax, and enjoy the show! See page 34 in the book for complete information.
Bus Activities make the Institute Special
The activities that take place on the bus make the Diversity Institute on Wheels extraordinary. Not only does the institute explore important diversity topics in the community through panels and presentations, it offers cultural and educational activities right on the bus.
Participants should look forward to being on the bus as much as they look forward to the panel discussions and cultural entertainment. In fact, the bus should be a “wow” experience. They will be spending several hours on the bus so you have a great opportunity for some creative programming. From music videos to educational DVD’s, you can use the bus’ technology to deliver your message. Have the bus stop at several sites in your city and surprise participants by picking up passengers who then become presenters. You’ll find out how to do this and more in the book.
The book covers all of the bases
Hosting a successful Diversity Institute on Wheels is no simple task. There is a lot of organized planning that needs to take place well before your bus hits the road. From publicity to planning committees, to task assignments, this book covers all of the bases for you so that on the day of the event you too can enjoy this unique institute. You’ll find answers to questions like:
What topics should your institute cover? Which speakers should you invite? What neighborhoods should you visit?
A budget is included that details all of your expenses. You’ll find out how to map your bus route; you’ll find a Master checklist-so that nothing falls through the cracks. But there’s even more:
Community Resources Booklet -This is an invaluable resource and one that we strongly urge that you provide for your participants. The booklet should provide a comprehensive overview of ALANA demographics in your community. It should be a one-stop resource for ALANA businesses, restaurants, churches, important websites and community based organizations. In short it should contain nearly everything someone needs to know about your city’s communities of color.
Institute Objectives like these are provided for you to use
You don’t have to be a college to sponsor an Institute
Although the Diversity Institute on Wheels featured in this booklet was planned for college faculty and staff, it can be modified to meet the needs of community groups, businesses, religious and other organizations interested in sponsoring an Institute. The Institute described in this booklet is multicultural but can be used to plan a program focusing on only one racial minority group if that is your interest.
If you truly want your school to be a partner to all groups who wish to participate in higher education, then you should consider sponsoring an institute. This booklet will help you plan a successful Diversity institute on Wheels. Best wishes for a transformative experience! ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS STEP ON THE BUS!
Click here to order this book now! Paperback $24.95; or E-book (pdf file-fully formatted) $12.95:
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