FSU offers free trainings on how to be a 'social justice ally'

Florida State University is offering a free “Social Justice Ally Training” program with the goal of teaching allies to “serve as social change agents in a diverse and global society.”

“The mission of the Social Justice Ally Training program is to educate members of the Florida State community about issues related to social justice,” the university website states, explaining that the program directly aims to “develop allies who will promote an equitable and inclusive environment and serve as social change agents in a diverse and global society.”

"Social justice is a goal and a process."

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According to the website, FSU will offer several two-part training sessions throughout the year, with offerings in September, October, and November of 2017. There is “no cost” to attend the program, but the school does specify that “participants must be able to attend both days of training,” and that “in order to provide the highest quality training, registration is limited to 15 people.”

The program is a project of FSU’s Center for Leadership & Social Change that seeks to transform lives “through leadership education, identity development and community engagement.”

The center also provides a more detailed look at the the social justice ally training program by explaining several core goals of the initiative.

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Among the stated objectives of the program, the training encourages participants to understand that “social justice is a goal and a process,” hold themselves “accountable for conscious and unconscious behaviors that harm target group members,” and be aware “of how systems of oppression have impact [sic] U.S history.”

In addition to the latter, the program also strives to raise awareness of “social justice issues, including racism, classism, religious oppression, sexism, heterosexism, gender oppression, ableism, ageism and adultism, and xenophobia.”

Alongside the ally training program, the Center for Leadership and Social Change also administers a Social Change Peer Educators program designed to engage undergraduate students “on the outcomes of diversity, inclusion, identity, and leadership.”

The team of Social Change Peer Educators—all undergraduate students—conducts a wide variety of workshops on topics including “Diversity and Inclusion,” “Social Justice,” and “Microaggressions,” with many of the workshops offered at both beginner and advanced levels.

FSU did not immediately respond to Campus Reform’s request for comment.

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