Racial Justice Training Course

Twice Monthly, Thursdays 11:30-1PM 

Module 1 - Understanding Intersectionality

Training Session: April 8th | Workshop Session: April 22nd

Module 2 - Diversity Recruiting and Retention

Training Session: May 6th | Workshop Session: May 20th

Module 3 - Bystander Intervention

Training Session: June 3rd | Workshop Session: June 17th

Registration for this course includes all six sessions

Are you interested in supporting racial equity and being a better advocate for racial justice in the workplace and across Minnesota? Are you interested in exploring how your identify impacts this work? Have you ever wondered what to say when you see discrimination or microaggressions in your world? Learn about these topics and much more with the WTS Minnesota Racial Justice Training Series. Interested participants can also pursue antiracism work in a supportive group setting following the training series.

WTS Minnesota is offering a workshop series that will provide participants with the tools and a professional network to support Diversity and Inclusion in transportation. We are contracting with a professional DEI training firm, PositiveHire, which helps employers retain talent and create more inclusive and diverse organizations with diversity, equity and inclusion trainings. The series will include six events total, with three class sessions and three mediated group discussions. The classes and small group discussions will alternate every other week over the course of three months. The cost of registration is greatly subsidized by WTS Minnesota and the fee for the course is $50 (actual training cost of $200 per participant—actual value, limitless!). This training is designed for people in the transportation field and open to all. If you or your employer is unable to pay the course fee, please email Liz Morice (liz.morice@kimley-horn.com) for a registration code that will waive the fee. No questions will be asked, and you do not need to submit any sort of application.  This course qualifies for 9 AICP credits.

Purpose

The series is designed to create a support network and community where participants can learn and challenge themselves and each other. To this end, PositiveHire will mediate three 1.5-hour small group workshop discussions for WTS Minnesota members to discuss their breakthroughs and challenges in making changes in their views and behaviors as they relate to diversity, intersectionality, and intervening as a bystander when witnessing harassment.

Trainings 

Three modules which each include a training session (1.5 hours) and a small group workshop discussion session (1-1.5 hours):

Module 1: Understanding Intersectionality

Thursday April 8 & 22, 2021 from 11:30-1PM

Intersectionality is understanding how aspects of a person's social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege. To better understand how underrepresented women and white women experience the workplace, we’ll discuss different aspects of intersectionality.

Module 2: Diversity Recruiting & Retention

Thursday May 6 & May 20, 2021 from 11:30-1PM

According to underrepresented women in STEM professionals, employers are missing the mark in attracting and retaining them. I'll share PositiveHire's survey findings and actions employers can take to retain underrepresented talent in science, tech and engineering.

Module 3: Bystander Intervention

Thursday June 3 & June 17, 2021 from 11:30-1PM

Are you wondering how to stop harassment? If you’ve been struggling with not knowing how to interrupt everyday sexism, racism, and other  microaggressions, then you’re in luck! Attend this workshop and we will help you develop a greater  understanding of workplace harassment.

Register Now!

No WTS membership required! If you or your employer is unable to pay the course fee, please email Liz Morice (liz.morice@kimley-horn.com) for a registration code that will waive the fee. No questions will be asked, and you do not need to submit any sort of application. 

Training Team: PositiveHire

 

Michelle Heyward

Michele Heyward is the founder of PositiveHire, a tech company which helps to recruit and retain experienced Latina, African-American and indigenous women STEM professionals into management positions. The software assists these women in finding the best fit employer for them to advance their careers. This in turn helps employers retain diverse STEM talent longer.PositiveHire is a tech company engineered to bridge the gap between management roles and underrepresented women in STEM. Michele’s vision is to not only help women of color in STEM find inclusive workplaces, but to prepare enterprises to receive them, and help those enterprises recruit them. This approach makes PositiveHire, the premiere recruiting platform for women of color professionals.

Michele is an experienced project manager in the energy sector armed with technical sales and technology transfer experience. She holds a B.S. degree in civil engineering and M.S. degree in industrial management, both from Clemson University. A South Carolina native, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, Toastmasters, and making connections personally and professionally.

 

K.C. Atha

K.C. Atha is a servant leader who has over 15 years in the federal government and non-profit sectors. She is bilingual and has worked abroad with the US Peace Corp. Her work focuses on two main areas: supporting free speech, human rights, and democracy via digital security and on conscious leaders to evolve their organizational structures to cultivate equitable and inclusive workplaces.

K.C. was a co-organizer for the Latinx community working and pursuing tech careers in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. She has a Master’s of Arts degree in International Administration, Development and Human Rights.