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Penn State University

Social Justice Symposium

March 19 – 22, 2011 | The Pennsylvania State University | Pride Week 2011

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, & Ally (LGBTA) Student Resource Center of Penn State University invited Bruce E. Smail and Jessie M. Sell to coordinate a Social Justice Symposium for the 2011 Pride Week Celebration. The five-part initiative engages the PSU community on social justice issues.

Sell and Smail worked together at the University of Colorado and Social Justice Consultants, LLC. The combination of their experiences presents exciting opportunities for the PSU community to dialogue on key issues affecting the campus. Both are LGBTQ, People of Color, and HIV/AIDS advocates. The consultants are passionate about trainings that are didactic, interactive, and transformative. The symposium draws on research as well as the expertise and knowledge of the facilitators and participants. Participants will gain new knowledge, engage in critical thinking, and explore strategies to affect change.

The LGBTA Student Resource Center at Penn State University and the consulting team look forward to PSU’s participation in the Social Justice Symposium for Pride Week 2011.

Space is limited for Events I, II, III, & IV. Each event is targeted to specific segments of the Penn State University community. Please use the RSVP link associated with the event you plan to attend.  

For more information on the Social Justice Symposium, facilitators, and keynote speaker, click on the following link: SocialJusticeSymposium_PSU_March2011.

I. Empowering Social Justice Advocates

Saturday, March 19, 2011 – 10:00 am – 5:0o pm

Bank of America Career Services Building, Room 103

Consultants: Jessie M. Sell & Bruce E. Smail

Target Population: Penn State University Students & Student Leaders

RSVP Link: http://empoweringsocialjusticeadvocates.eventbrite.com

Empowering Social Justice Advocates is a didactic, interactive, and transformative seminar that will focus on three key areas: a) theoretical and conceptual frameworks for social justice; b) relevance of social justice at Penn State University; and c) taking personal action to affect change at Penn State University.

II. Noon Dialogue with Faculty & Staff

Monday, March 21, 2011 – 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

HUB Robeson Center – 129C

Consultant: Jessie M. Sell

Target Population: Penn State University Faculty & Staff

RSVP Link:  http://noondialoguefacultystaff.eventbrite.com

The consultant will lead a 90-minute facilitated dialogue on enhancing relationships between faculty/staff and the LGBTA Student Resource Center.

III. Noon Dialogue with Students of Color

Monday, March 21, 2011 – 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

HUB Robeson Center – 321

Consultant: Bruce E. Smail

Target Population: Penn State University Students of Color

RSVP Link:  http://noondialoguestudentsofcolor.eventbrite.com

The consultant will lead a 90-minute facilitated dialogue on enhancing relationships between students of color and the LGBTA Student Resource Center.

 IV. Noon Dialogue with Students & Student Leaders

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 – 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

HUB Robeson Center – 321

Consultant: Bruce E. Smail

Target Population: Penn State University Students & Student Leaders

RSVP Link: http://noondialoguestudentleaders.eventbrite.com

The consultant will lead a 90-minute facilitated dialogue on enhancing relationships between students/student leaders and the LGBTA Student Resource Center.

 V. Keynote Address: Are You Positive That You Are Negative?

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 – 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

HUB Auditorium

Speaker: Bruce E. Smail

Target Population: Penn State University Campus & Community

While visiting his doctor on February 10, 2003, she indicated, “I have some good news and bad news.” That moment started an eight-year journey of living with HIV. The journey created amazing opportunities and challenges. A higher education professional and former CEO of an HIV/AIDS nonprofit organization, Smail is in a unique position to provide recommendations for HIV prevention on college campuses. College students are a high-risk group for HIV and need to be familiar with HIV and risk reduction. The presentation will also highlight the current state of HIV/AIDS in the United States and Pennsylvania. A question & answer period will follow the presentation allowing participants to dialogue on HIV, prevention, and risk reduction. This frank, personal, and moving presentation will challenge many assumptions about HIV and safer sex.

Discussion

One Response to “Penn State University”

  1. I thought Bruce did a wonderful job with this presentation. I have never met someone affected by HIV. It was very educational. It gave me an insight on how HIV affects a persons relationships, everyday lives, and mind set.

    Posted by Taylor Hoffay | March 23, 2011, 10:53 PM

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