The University of Texas at Arlington

Request a Workshop

Looking for a fun and constructive activity for your organization? Seeking a fresh approach to diversity training for your staff? Host a Maversity workshop! Our energetic team of peer diversity ambassadors and/or one of the Multicultural Affairs staff can facilitate one of the diversity workshops listed below or tailor a session that fits your needs.

How to request a workshop

Request must be made at least 2 weeks in advance. Please allow 3 business days to respond to your request. Requests should be submitted via email to martinezlc@uta.edu. Be sure to include the date, time, location, size of your group, and contact information in your email. Please note: At this time, our staff are only available to host Maversity workshops held on the UT Arlington campus.

Workshops

Suggested workshop length is listed below. Most workshops can be tailored to fit your schedule.

For Faculty/Staff

Multicultural Competence
Focus: Skills for Diversity
Suggested Length: 45 mins
Audience Size: Small to Large audiences, recommended for faculty/staff

How often is multicultural competence relevant in your work or social activities? Developing our skills in this area goes beyond just learning demographics of a population. What are some of the dimensions of culture? What facets are encompassed in multicultural competence? Workshop can be tailored for either staff or students. **Note: although interaction and discussion are included, this workshop is more lecture based than others offered.

For All Audiences

Game Of Oppression
Focus: Power & Privilege
Suggested Length: 1 hr - 1 1/2 hr
Audience Size: Min 10, Max 20
Can be done for larger groups if audience is divided into two.

The Game of Oppression is designed to encourage and challenge individuals from different backgrounds and experiences to engage in authentic dialogue. The game is an innovative interactive board game that encourages participants to share personal stories while providing a "safe space" for authentic dialogue around the issues of oppression.

Star Power
Focus: Privilege & Social Class
Suggested Length:1 1/4 hr - 1 1/2 hr
Audience Size: Min 18, Max 50 people
Can be done for larger groups if audience is divided into two.

Power is a taboo topic for most people. Yet, it profoundly affects the way we behave, manage organizations, and relate to those we are supposed to serve. StarPower is an interactive exercise that helps participants explore the dynamics of privilege and power and the impact these make on our motivation and self esteem.

Barnga
Focus: Cross Cultural Communication
Suggested Length: 1 1/4 hr - 1 3/4 hr
Audience Size: 14 – 50 people

In Barnga, participants experience the shock of realizing that despite many similarities, people of differing cultures perceive things differently or play by different rules. Players learn that they must understand and reconcile these differences if they want to function effectively in a cross-cultural group.

Bafa Bafa
Focus: Cultural Norms
Suggested Length: 1 1/4 hr - 1 3/4 hr
Audience Size: 18 - 35 people

BaFa’ BaFa’ is a cross cultural simulation game. In BaFa' BaFa' participants come to understand the powerful effects that culture plays in every person's life. It may be used to help participants prepare for living and working in another culture or to learn how to work with people from other departments, disciplines, genders, races, and ages.

Crossing The Line
Focus: Privilege
Suggested Length: 50 mins
Audience Size: 15 – 40 people

It’s our version of the Privilege Line exercise! Based on “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh, this exercise will have students actively responding to a series of questions exploring the differences in our experiences in various environmental and social circumstances. An activity debrief is included, as well as, a short presentation on the dynamics of power, privilege, and oppression.

For Students/Student Organizations

BEAD Who You Are
Focus: Identity
Suggested Length: 30 mins - 1 1/2 hr
Audience Size: Small to large audiences

Recommended for first year students and new student leaders. Description available upon request.

Identity Theft: The Power Of Words
Focus: Prejudice and Stereotypes
Suggested Length: 50 mins
Audience Size: Small to large audiences
Do stereotypes “steal” our chance to gain a deeper understanding of the individuals and groups in our community? Words used as overgeneralizations of others can rob us of the opportunity to develop positive relationships within a diverse society. Join us for this interactive workshop as we explore how language plays a role in perpetuating prejudices related to race/ethnicity, gender, disability and sexual orientation.

G.I. Joe and Barbie
Focus: Gender Exploration
Suggested Length: 50 mins
Audience Size: 75 people
Gender is a salient issue in today’s society. From employment to politics, from relationships to communication, gender issues affect our decision making, behavior and attitudes. To what are we referring when we talk about gender? We will address the multiple facets of gender including, but not limited to, gender role, attribution, identity, expression and more. The session will also include small group discussion and our Gender Debate activity to help participants understand these concepts in daily life.

In My Shoes
Focus: Sexual Orientation
Suggested Length: 50 mins
Audience Size: 12 -40 people

Description available upon request.

My Multicultural Self
Focus: Identity
Suggested Length: 50 mins
Audience Size: Small to Large audiences

Recommended for first year students and new student leaders. Description available upon request.