T1W: Circles of Change-Moving from Dialogue to Action in Your Community

Throughout the weeks leading up to the inaugural Toward One Wisconsin inclusivity conference, we will be previewing sessions from each of our four tracks.

Marginalized groups can face many barriers that perpetuate inequality. However, it can be difficult to discuss these barriers and determine a course of action for a community to address them. The Eau Claire community utilized the Circles of Change process to facilitate these discussions and find real solutions.

Circles of Change is a civic engagement process supported by local governments, the Eau Claire school district and the university and technical college. Fourteen groups of 10-14 members engaged in six 2-hour sessions where participants shared dialogue regarding equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and then took actions to work toward eliminating institutional and systematic barriers that perpetuate inequality. Guided by trained facilitators, dialogues were designed to help groups build community and discuss difficult topics to looking at issues specific to the community. At the end of the sessions all the groups met together to choose action plans that would be pursued.

Presenter: Dr. Aubrey Robinson, Director, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Register today and join us April 11-12 for this and dozens of other great sessions across our four conference tracks!