Starting in Spring 2022, the LGBTQ+ Resource Center is introducing changes to their education workshops. In order to meet best practices for LGBTQ+ Safe Zone Trainings, UWM “Safer Spaces” will adopt a three-tiered model of workshops before an official department, team, student organization, or other UWM entity can receive recognition as a Safer Space for LGBTQ+ students at UWM. Safer Spaces trainings should be revisited once every three years as identity-based education is always evolving and growing with its communities.
Before requesting a workshop, please review the information below, as educational workshop descriptions and offerings may have changed.
Please email the following details with the subject “Workshop Request – [Your Department or Name]” to LGBTAlly@uwm.edu. Please allow 2-3 business days for our team to review the request. Note: all requests should have a minimum of 3 weeks notice. Department/Organization/Class Requesting Workshop: Desired Workshop: First Date and Time Option:
Point of Contact Name, UWM Email, and Pronouns:
(Optional) Secondary Points of Contact Name, UWM Email, and Pronouns:
Specific Goals for the Workshop: (i.e. do you want specific objectives or content covered)
Who Will Be Attending: (number of attendees and insight into your context)
Second Date and Time Option:
Location:
Please note that requesters are responsible for room reservations and ensuring there is projecting capabilities.
Educational Workshops Offered
5-15 minute presentation This presentation will give an overview of the services that the LGBTQ+ Resource Center provides. Our mission is to increase the awareness, dialogue, education, and presence of LGBTQ+ resources, topics, and concerns on the UWM campus, and to provide resources for students and campus community members wanting to learn about and advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion. To this end, we provide student-inspired programming, education, outreach and social groups in an attempt to create an inclusive and welcoming campus environment for all students, staff and faculty members. We will share information about upcoming social and educational forums, activities, programs, and events sponsored by the LGBTQ+ Resource Center. We will also discuss various ways students can become involved with activities and outreach initiatives conducted by the LGBTQ+ Resource Center.
30-45 minute presentation This presentation offers attendees a working foundation of what pronouns are, how we use them now and have in the past, and what is means to have inclusive language at UWM. Part of this presentation is to demystify pronoun usage, especially since pronouns are an article of speech we all have used since we started talking. Additionally, attendees will leave the session with actionable steps towards creating more inclusive practices, policies, and habits to support students, staff, and faculty.
60-90 minute workshop We offer LGBTQ+ Intersectionality Focused Training (L.I.F.T.) workshops on a variety of levels, from introductory to advanced, on multiple topics not limited to those listed below. The purpose of these workshops is to focus on content that overlaps your functional area or area of expertise with LGBTQ+ topics, identities, and contemporary issues. We are also happy to tailor a workshop to the specific needs of your classroom or organization. Workshops include a lecture-style presentation, interactive activities, and question & answer periods. The recommended number of participants is 5-30 to encourage honest conversation and engagement in the material. Workshop requests should be made no later than 3 weeks before the presentation date. This allows our Education team to provide the best workshop possible. Here are some examples of L.I.F.T. workshops we have done in the past:
Safer Spaces Trainings
In order to expand and bolster our support for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff, the UWM Safer Spaces Trainings are tiered workshops the LGBTQ+ Resource Center offers to its campus community. These workshops are to create a community of dedicated students, faculty, and staff engaged in conversations around how to better serve our LGBTQ+ communities on campus and in our lives off of campus. Student organizations, sports teams, official departments, and classes are encouraged to request these workshops, and open workshops will also be hosted for individuals interested in pursuing these trainings. The recommended number of participants is 5-30 to encourage honest conversation and engagement in the material.
Workshop requests should be made no later than 3 weeks before the presentation date. This allows our Education team to provide the best workshop possible. Safer Spaces should be retrained once every three years for full teams as identity-based education is always evolving and growing with its communities.
The three workshop tiers are the following:
75-90 minutes This interactive training is provided to staff, faculty, and students across campus to create a foundation of knowledge and develop critical lens towards gender, sexuality, and self-expression. Our goal is to provide a welcoming environment for all people at UWM so they can develop holistically and share their authentic self. This workshop will address information about LGBTQ+ terms and language, specific challenges that come up when talking about gender, sexuality, and self-expression, and resources available on and off-campus.
75-90 minutes The Trans 101 training will provide faculty, staff, and students to deepen our understandings of personal and social experiences of gender, and the impact these insights have in our society. This workshop will include a review of the differences between sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality, assumptions we make due to gender binary systems, current issues facing trans and gender expansive communities, and our role in interrupting transphobic behaviors or rhetoric. You must have completed our LGBTQ+ 101 training prior to requesting or attending the Trans 101 training.
90 minutes The LGBTQ+ Ally Development training will provide faculty, staff, and students with information and tools around acting as an ally for LGBTQ+ communities, especially our UWM communities. This training will include an introduction to ally development theory, tips to avoid performative pitfalls, insight into the inclusive programs, processes, and opportunities UW-Milwaukee offers for LGBTQ+ students, scenario activities to practice our skills, and new responsibilities we hold as visible allies. You must have completed our LGBTQ+ 101 and Trans 101 trainings prior to requesting or attending the LGBTQ+ Ally Development training.