The College of Education Diversity Council hosted an invitational book club based on Love’s Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal. We explored how personal experiences shape understanding of historical events and that political decisions have affected public education in deeply harmful ways. The opportunities to reflect on the author’s words, real-life experiences shared among those individuals present within the space encouraged conversations, although often uncomfortable, that have allowed us to be more introspective and deepened our understandings.

Inclusivity in the classroom -- ensuring students feel welcome, seen, heard, and valued. This presentation will look at practical examples of inclusivity regarding facilitating connections, using inclusive language, building an inclusive syllabus, and examining the course materials and examples used.

The session will provide education and support in the corporate and higher education space with the focus on elevating the tremendous capabilities of neurodivergent populations. This session will analyze key components of the student-educator and employee-manager relationship through a neuro-inclusive lens and share crucial insights into supporting neurodivergent talent. Participants will engage in dialogue using universal design and human- centered activities that include modeling neuro-inclusive strategies and centering the voice of neurodivergent students and employees. The Madison Center for Civic Engagement’s Better Conversations: Paired Stories initiative centers around the establishment and sharing of a space in which to build trust among individuals, establish meaningful relationships, and to have healthy conversations across divides. In this action-based session, Madison Center staff will present about this innovative initiative and will facilitate productive conversations within the group. Attendees will participate in pairs and will be encouraged to share their personal stories, explore their partner's stories, ask questions, and consider differences.