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Education & Workshops

Education & Workshops

The Office of Social Justice Initiatives & Identity Programs (SJIIP) centers our work in education and provide a number of opportunities to take a deeper dive into understanding our many intersecting identities. We provide a number of general and identity based workshops. 

General Workshops

SJIIP hosts a number of general workshops for the UC Merced campus community to depending their understanding of social justice topics and provide personal and organizational development. These workshops can be requested by your organizations by filling out this General Workshop Request Form.

  • Aspiring Ally 101: Developed specifically for UC Merced, the Aspiring Ally 101 workshops provides a foundational understanding of allyship, raises awareness regarding the stages of allyship and offers hands on scenarios for supporting communities they are not members of in a 2-hour session.
  • Bobcat Connect
  • Identity Development: An introductory workshop which provides the opportunity for participants to examine their social identities, intersectionality and participants relationships with the community around them. This workshop is a 1-hour session.
  • Gender Inclusion in the Workplace: The Gender Inclusion in the Workplace workshop focuses on raising awareness of transgender issues, provides information regarding how to support a transgender employee and provides a process should a grievance occur. This workshop is 3.5 hours in length.
  • Gender Inclusive Language: The Gender Inclusive Language workshop breaks downs the importance of utilizing gender inclusive language to ensure we are affirming the lived experiences, backgrouns, and identities of individuals. This one (1) hour workshop provides an opportunity to examine how our binary gendered language impacts those who identify on the gender specturm and offers alternatives to utilizing exclusionary language. 
  • Privilege, Oppression & Power: The Privilege, Power, & Oppression workshop provides an introductory understanding of the interconnections of positionality and systemic institutions that provide unequitable access to power and resources. This workshop is a 3-hour session.

Identity Based Workshops

SJIIP also hosts a number of identity-based workshops which encourages folx to gain a deeper understanding of not only thier identities, but the lived experiences of various underserved communities. These workshops are offered periodically throughout the academic year and by request for student organizations and departments.

Queer Ally Program

The Queer All Program (QAP) is a program which identifies students, faculty and staff members who will provide empathy, acceptance, support and resources for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex students and all forms of gender expression. QAP currently provides workshops tailored to providing a deeper understanding of the LGBTQ+ community, individuals lived experiences and develop skills to support the LGBTQ+ community.

Queer Ally Workshop
The 3.5 hour Queer Ally Workshop (QA) provides an introductory foundational understanding of the LGBTQ+ community. The focus of this workshop is for participants to:
  • Define and differentiate between assigned sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation/attraction(s), sexual behavior and sexual activity.
  • Articulate privileges that you have that are not afforded to members of the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Identify opportunities for influencing positive social change that affirms the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Identify ways to positively support the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Demonstrate continued learning and knowledge around how to be an ally for the LGBTQ+ communities.

To request a QA workshop, please fill out this request form.

Gender Expansive Workshop
The Gender Expansive Workshop (GE) is the newest QAP curriculum expanding participants understanding of the varied gender identities which fall under the gender expansive umbrella. This 3.5 hour workshop was created to: 
  • Raise awareness of the Gender Expansive community
  • Challenge deeply held notions of gender, gender identity and gender expression
  • Identify ways to support the gender expansive community

The liberating work that will be upheld in this workshop provides an opportunity for participants to understand themselves and others, recognize some of the challenges the gender expansive community face, and the ways in which we can all attempt to create a welcoming and affirming environment for the gender expansive community. In order for participants to enroll in the GE workshop, participants must have completed the Queer Ally Program Workshop after August of 2016. 

To request a GE workshop, please fill out this request form.

SJ Education

Social Justice Retreat

The annual Social Justice Retreat is held each fall semester and is open to all undergraduate students who are interested in learning about, as well as those who are looking for opportunities to further their understanding of social justice, exploration of one's identities, and engaging in equity work.

Upcoming Scheduled Workshops: