First recipients of LLCC’s IDI Grant named

The Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion Grant Project Team is pleased to announce the first recipients of the IDI Grant!

Alex BerryIn the Training, Teaching, and Learning category, Alex Berry was awarded funding for the purchase of “Is Everyone Really Equal? An introduction to key concepts in social justice education” for all student success coaches. This book will be used as a framework for discussion on issues of social justice and engaging with inclusive practices at LLCC during departmental meetings. In addition, this project aims to create a guide to be used by other departments interested in facilitating this activity.

Candace SilasIn the Recruitment & Retention category, Candace Silas was awarded funding for a targeted recruitment and retention project for Workforce Equity Initiative (WEI) students. Funds will be used to support a marketing campaign and student support program aimed at recruiting and retaining students in the Workforce Equity Initiative program. This program funds short-term education/training programs for around 150 low income students, 75% of whom must be African American, designed to help participants gain employment in high wage and in-demand occupations. More information can be found on the WEI webpage.

Congratulations to the grant recipients! Their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion at LLCC is appreciated, and we look forward to the positive impact these projects will have. 

Register for “Engaging With Equity” workshop on PDD

LLCC Inclusivity Speaker Series. Diversity, Inclusion, Identity, Community.The Inclusivity Speaker Series, with support from the Workface Equity Initiative, is proud to host a 90-minute workshop during the Spring Professional Development Day entitled “Engaging with equity: Identifying and applying inclusive practices in your role at LLCC.” This session will be held from 8:30-10 a.m. on March 30, 2021.

Pre-registration is required as space is limited. Pre-register to attend the “Engaging with equity” session.

Participants will explore practices, strategies, and action steps they can take to positively impact LLCC’s inclusivity and campus climate. The workshop will consist of a short presentation, a breakout session to engage in prompt-driven small group discussion, and a facilitated exercise designed to highlight and outline action steps and strategies faculty and staff can engage as they strive to utilize more equity-conscious and inclusive practices. This workshop will be facilitated by Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) at U of I Champaign/Urbana. Facilitated by: Dr. Marci RockeyDr. Chaddrick James-Gallaway, and Angel Velez.

We encourage all members of our faculty and staff to join us. You don’t have to be in a leadership or administrator role to impact real change at LLCC. This workshop will challenge participants to identify ways that we can be more inclusive in our everyday practice, regardless of your position. Space is limited, so make sure to sign up early for this session.

If you have any questions, please contact Jacob.deters@llcc.edu.

Submit an IDI Grant application yet today

idi Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion Grant ProgramInnovation in Diversity and Inclusion (IDI) Grant applications are due by end of day today, March 15.

The IDI Grant is an internal opportunity for any LLCC faculty, staff, student or department, and can be used to address a need and/or to promote and celebrate diversity. For additional information and helpful resources (standards of evaluation, project samples and more) are available on the Innovation in Diversity & Inclusion Grant SharePoint page (be sure you’re logged in to Office 365 to access).

The IDI Grant project categories are:

  • Training, Teaching and Learning
  • Recruitment and Retention
  • Environment and Processes
  • ​​​​​​​Other Innovation Strategies

If you have questions, please contact shelby.bedford@llcc.edu.

IDI Grant Project Team (appointed by the Campus Climate Team’s Safety & Inclusivity Workgroup):
Shelby Bedford, chair
Laura Anderson
Michelle Pulce-Flynn
Jamil Steele
Kyla Kruse

Equity focused workshop to be held during PDD

LLCC Inclusivity Speaker Series. Diversity, Inclusion, Identity, Community.The Inclusivity Speaker Series and Workforce Equity Initiative are proud to host a 90-minute workshop during Spring Professional Development Day entitled “Engaging with equity: Identifying and applying inclusive practices in your role at LLCC.” This session will be held from 8:30-10 a.m. on March 30.

Participants will explore practices, strategies and action steps they can take to positively impact LLCC’s inclusivity and campus climate. The workshop will consist of a short presentation, a breakout session to engage in prompt-driven small group discussion, and a facilitated exercise designed to highlight and outline action steps and strategies faculty and staff can engage as they strive to utilize more equity-conscious and inclusive practices. This workshop will be facilitated by the Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Facilitators are: Dr. Marci RockeyDr. Chaddrick James-Gallaway and Angel Velez.

We encourage all members of our faculty and staff to join us. You don’t have to be in a leadership or administrator role to impact real change at LLCC. This workshop will challenge participants to identify ways that we can be more inclusive in our everyday practice, regardless of your position.

Early-bird registration has been sent an email to faculty and staff who work directly with our WEI students; sign up soon to ensure we save a seat for you! Contact Candace Silas (candace.silas@llcc.edu) for further questions about early bird registration.

Open registration will be available to all faculty and staff on Wednesday, March 17. A link to register will be sent out via LincIn. If you have any questions about open registration or this workshop, please contact Jacob Deters (Jacob.deters@llcc.edu).

Submit an IDI Grant application by March 15

idi Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion Grant ProgramThe Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion (IDI) Grant application process is open for submission through March 15!

The IDI Grant is an internal opportunity for any LLCC faculty, staff, student or department, and can be used to address a need and/or to promote and celebrate diversity. For additional information and helpful resources (standards of evaluation, project samples and more) are now available on the Innovation in Diversity & Inclusion Grant SharePoint page (be sure you’re logged in to Office 365 to access).

IDI Grant projects should fall into one of the following categories:

  • Training, Teaching and Learning
  • Recruitment and Retention
  • Environment and Processes
  • ​​​​​​​Other Innovation Strategies

Earlier this week examples were provided for recruitment and retention. The focus today is on Environment and Processes. A few ideas include:

  • Address physical accessibility concerns
  • Purchase materials needed for implementation of inclusive practices by individuals, groups or departments
  • Fund tools needed to make a process more inclusive

An example of a related project developed at another institution of higher education: Accessible Wayfinding – This project worked to address the challenges of navigating a campus environment when there are visual, hearing or other impairments that impede an individual’s ability. The UC Inclusion App was developed to provide an interactive environment that fosters targeted and immediate communication pathways. The project included the addition of indoor wayfinding resources for in-building navigation, installation of beacons to mark accessible entrances and pathways, option to set accessibility preferences and ability to immediately report accessibility challenges.

We encourage you to collaborate with your colleagues and students to define and develop a project for this grant opportunity. If you have questions, please contact shelby.bedford@llcc.edu.

IDI Grant Project Team (appointed by the Campus Climate Team’s Safety & Inclusivity Workgroup):
Shelby Bedford, chair
Laura Anderson
Michelle Pulce-Flynn
Jamil Steele
Kyla Kruse

Submit an IDI Grant application

idi Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion Grant ProgramThe Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion (IDI) Grant application process is open for submission through March 15!

The IDI Grant is an internal opportunity for any LLCC faculty, staff, student or department, and can be used to address a need and/or to promote and celebrate diversity. For additional information and helpful resources (standards of evaluation, project samples and more) are now available on the Innovation in Diversity & Inclusion Grant SharePoint page (be sure you’re logged in to Office 365 to access).

IDI Grant projects should fall into one of the following categories:

  • Training, Teaching and Learning
  • Recruitment and Retention
  • Environment and Processes
  • ​​​​​​​Other Innovation Strategies

Last week examples were provided for training, teaching and learning. This week, the focus is on the next category — Recruitment and Retention. A few ideas include:

  • Projects aimed at recruiting traditionally minoritized individuals to be students or employees
  • Targeted retention projects (for students and employees)

Here are examples of related projects developed at other institutions of higher education:

  • Developing Capacity to Employ Individuals With Disabilities — This project conducted a needs assessment of managers and employees to determine their knowledge and experience related to working with individuals with disabilities. This information was used to develop employment-related resources for personnel in order to better equip them to advance inclusion in the university community. 
  • Project Transition – This initiative focused on enhancing the student experience, persistence and graduation rates of first-generation and underserved students by addressing the role that families play. Programming and activities were developed to better connect and engage families of first-generation students with the university and assist them in supporting their student through the transition from high school to college.

We encourage you to collaborate with your colleagues and students to define and develop a project for this grant opportunity. If you have questions, please contact shelby.bedford@llcc.edu.

IDI Grant Project Team (appointed by the Campus Climate Team’s Safety & Inclusivity Workgroup):
Shelby Bedford, chair
Laura Anderson
Michelle Pulce-Flynn
Jamil Steele
Kyla Kruse

Submit an IDI Grant application

idi Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion Grant ProgramThe Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion (IDI) Grant application process is open for submission through March 15! The IDI Grant is an internal opportunity for any LLCC faculty, staff, student or department, and can be used to address a need and/or to promote and celebrate diversity. More information and helpful resources (standards of evaluation, project samples and more) are now available on the Innovation in Diversity & Inclusion Grant SharePoint page (be sure you’re logged in to Office 365 to access).

IDI Grant projects should fall into one of the following categories:

  • Training, Teaching and Learning
  • Recruitment and Retention
  • Environment and Processes
  • ​​​​​​​Other Innovation Strategies

Over the course of the coming weeks, a focus will be provided in LincIn on each of these categories. What types of activities could be undertaken for training, teaching and learning? We encourage you to talk and collaborate with your colleagues and students. A few ideas include: hosting a training event, purchasing materials for an inclusivity workshop, buying books from diverse authors, etc. Additionally, here are a couple of samples of projects done at other institutions of higher education:

  • Stories Untold – Syracuse University – The workshop series increased contact between Syracuse University drama students and working artists whose stories (in their work or their pathway to making it) were underrepresented in the department. Three working artists of varying disciplines spoke to classes, led a workshop and participated in a Q&A session with students.
  • Ally Skills Workshop for Poets and Writers – University of Massachusetts Amherst – The workshop worked to help students in the MFA for Poets and Writers to better understand and respond to issues regarding racism and white supremacy within their program. The workshop included a series of training events to educate and empower students on what to do in situations of racism and transphobia in the MFA program.

If you have questions, please contact shelby.bedford@llcc.edu.

IDI Grant Project Team (appointed by the Campus Climate Team’s Safety & Inclusivity Workgroup):
Shelby Bedford, chair
Laura Anderson
Michelle Pulce-Flynn
Jamil Steele
Kyla Kruse

IDI Grant application opens today

idi Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion Grant ProgramThe Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion (IDI) Grant application opens today! The IDI Grant is an internal opportunity for any LLCC faculty, staff, student or department, and can be used to address a need and/or to promote and celebrate diversity.

There is $1500 available to be awarded in spring 2021. Grant proposals will be accepted through March 15. More information and helpful resources (standards of evaluation, project samples and more) are now available on the Innovation in Diversity & Inclusion Grant SharePoint page (be sure you’re logged in to Office 365 to access).

If you have questions, please contact shelby.bedford@llcc.edu.

IDI Grant Project Team (appointed by the Campus Climate Team’s Safety & Inclusivity Workgroup):
Shelby Bedford, chair
Laura Anderson
Michelle Pulce-Flynn
Jamil Steele
Kyla Kruse

Innovation in Diversity & Inclusion Grant

idi Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion Grant ProgramThere is a new opportunity just ahead for recognizing and promoting diversity and inclusion at LLCC — the Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion Grant! It is an internal grant opportunity for any LLCC faculty, staff, student or department, and can be used to address a need and/or to promote and celebrate diversity.

There is $1500 available to be awarded in spring 2021. Grant proposals will be accepted Feb. 15-March 15. More information and helpful resources (standards of evaluation, project samples and more) are now available on the Innovation in Diversity & Inclusion Grant SharePoint page (be sure you’re logged in to Office 365 to access).

Submitted projects must fall into one or more of these categories:  (1) Training, Teaching and Learning, (2) Recruitment and Retention, (3) Environments and Processes, (4) Other Innovation. To get the creative thought process going, here are some project examples:

  • Training, Teaching and Learning Examples: Host a training event, purchase materials for an inclusivity workshop, buy books from diverse authors, etc.
  • Recruitment and Retention Examples: Projects aimed at recruiting traditionally minoritized individuals to be students or employees, targeted retention projects (for students and employees), etc.
  • Environment and Processes Examples: Address physical accessibility concerns; purchasing materials needed for implementation of inclusive practices by individuals, groups, or departments; fund tools needed to make a process more inclusive, etc.

If you have questions, please contact shelby.bedford@llcc.edu.

IDI Grant Project Team (appointed by the Campus Climate Team’s Safety & Inclusivity Workgroup):
Shelby Bedford, chair
Laura Anderson
Michelle Pulce-Flynn
Jamil Steele
Kyla Kruse

Diversity and inclusion training modules available

Last month, Professional Development Day provided several valuable tracks with a variety of live and recorded learning options. If you did not have an opportunity to participate in the sessions available in the Diversity and Inclusion Track, the Campus Climate Team encourages you to take advantage of these professional development opportunities, which are still available. You can access them by going to https://llcc-il.safecolleges.com/training/home and selecting View Library toward the bottom of the screen. The diversity and inclusion training modules can be found in the Human Resources as well as the Social and Behavioral sections.