Office of Multicultural Affairs Newsletter
April 2022 | D-Term | Spring 2022
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Ramadan 2022
(Saturday, April 2nd - Monday, May 2nd)
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Beginning next Wednesday, May 4th the OASIS Multicultural Center (OASIS House) and Collegiate Religious Center (CRC) will be closed Monday - Friday at 5:00 PM EST and closed all day on Saturday and Sunday. Summer Hours will be posted beginning the week of May 23rd. If you need to access the OMA staff or the spaces please email us at multiculturalaffairs@wpi.edu.
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Arab American Heritage Month
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Upcoming Campus Program and Events
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- Thursday, April 28th at 7:00 PM EST
- Friday, April 29th at 12:00 PM EST
- Friday, April 29th at 6:30 PM EST
- Monday, May 2nd at 12:00 PM EST
- Monday, May 2nd at 7:00 PM EST
- Tuesday, May 3rd at 7:00 PM EST
- Office of Multicultural Affairs sponsored programs and events.
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Latino Fiesta
Friday, April 29, 2022
6:30 PM - 11:30 PM EST
Rubin Campus Center Odeum |
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Lavender Commencement
Saturday, April 30, 2022
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST
Innovation Studio 203/205 |
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Mental Health Implementation Team (MHIT) Office Hours
Monday, May 2, 2022
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST
Rubin Campus Center - Mid-Century Room (3rd Floor) |
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Upcoming Holidays, Holy Days, and Commemorative Days
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- Day of Silence (April 27)
- Laylat al-Qadr (April 28)
- Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah) (April 28)
- International Girls in ICT Day (April 28)
- Arbor Day (April 29)
- Eid-al-Fitr (May 1-2)
- April 2022 is observed as:
- National Poetry Month
- National Sexual Assault Awareness And Prevention
- National Autism Awareness
- Stress Awareness Month
- National Donate Life Month
- The Month Of The Military Child
- National Cancer Control Month
- National Child Abuse Prevention Month
- Second Chance Month
Happy Birthday to all of the April babies! |
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WPI News:
Local/State/National/International News:
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Mental Health, Wellness, Self-Care, and Mindfulness
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Current events may be hard to grapple with as multiple historically Black colleges and universities faced bomb threats, Minneapolis police fatally shot Amir Locke, and many states and districts continue to ban teaching inclusive books and talking about race. Amidst these aggressions, we want to remind Black educators to practice self-care—and all educators to elevate the importance of Black students’ experiences and their mental health. These resources can help. (Learning For Justice)
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Virtual Mindful Wednesdays and Thursdays
- Mindfulness Wednesdays and Thursdays will be conducted virtually through Zoom for the foreseeable future and will not be held in person.
- The Wednesday session begins at 12:15 PM EST and the Thursday session begins at 2:15 PM EST.
- Sessions include a 10 – 15 meditation with time for questions or comments.
- Please email Robin Benoit for more information.
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Live Guided Meditation | hosted by Meditation Breaks
- Immerse yourself in the benefits of meditation and mindfulness. This live online meditation class hosted by Meditation Breaks provides a wide array of easy to learn mindfulness teachings and techniques aimed at transforming your life -- including stress relief, increasing happiness, living in the moment, and much more.
- Great for people looking to learn how meditation can help them in daily life and for those interested in maintaining a regular meditation practice.
- Note: times are Wednesdays at 8:30 PM EST.
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Mental Health Training Webinars
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Student Mental Health Matters
Join Learning for Justice for a webinar about student mental health—and why it matters. Cohosted by Dr. Charles Barrett, Chair for the National Association of School Psychologists Multicultural Affairs Committee, this webinar will focus on challenges students face regarding mental health, including how those challenges can vary depending on their intersecting identities. We will also share examples of what schools and districts are doing to address these challenges. Finally, you will learn about tools and strategies for your own classroom and school community. (Learning For Justice) |
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Part II Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Minority College Students
In this episode, we replay part two of the Diverse Talk Live! webcast, "Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Minority College Students." In case you missed it, tune in as the panel of experts return to look at campus climate policies after the surge of Omicron and how they relate to the mental health and health-seeking behaviors in minoritized students. Listen in as they propose supplemental resources for faculty who are on the front line and discuss what we can do at the campus and institutional level to better support student mental health and connect students to services who are disproportionately under-utilizing formal treatment avenues. (Diverse Issues In Higher Education)
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Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Minority College Students
In this episode we replay the December 7th Diverse Talk Live! webcast, "Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Minority College Students." In case you missed it, listen in as a panel of experts evaluate and advise on how higher ed institutions can best address the mental health needs of minority students — particularly as they grapple with a myriad of challenges including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and a nationwide flashpoint on systemic racism, punctuated by the recent guilty verdicts of the individuals charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. (Diverse Issues In Higher Education)
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LGBTQIAP+ Resources and Support
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Read, Watch, Listen, and Learn
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Master - Official Trailer | Prime Video
Three women strive to find their place at an elite Northeastern university as old as the country. When anonymous racist attacks target a Black freshman — who insists she is being haunted by ghosts of the school’s past — each woman must determine where the real menace lies. Streaming on Prime Video and in select theaters on March 18.
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Articles:
Films and Television:
- Residence Life Cinema (SWANK Motion Pictures, Inc.)
- Alcohol Awareness
- Asian Pacific Islander History and Culture
- Black History and Culture
- Constitution Day
- Disabilities
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Earth Day
- Hispanic History and Culture
- International
- LGBTQ+ Pride
- Social Relevance
- National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
- National Native American Heritage Month
- Women's History Month
- Women's Studies
- World AIDS Day
- Anyone on WPI Wi-Fi can access free streaming services at cinema.wpi.edu.
Podcasts:
Books:
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A Supremely Historic Moment
As the first Black woman is appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, there are lessons we can all learn about intersectionality, representation and our essential role in eliminating obstacles for young people. (Learning For Justice)
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Talking With Students About Transgender Athletes
As lawmakers across the country continue to restrict the rights of trans people—particularly trans students—educators can take this moment to start a conversation about transgender identity, justice and ways to take action. (Learning For Justice)
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Celebrating Arab American Heritage Month
During April, we uplift Arab American Heritage Month. These resources will help educators celebrate Arab identity, counter negative stereotypes, teach about Arab history and cultures, and ensure an inclusive environment that supports Arab American students this month and throughout the year. (Learning For Justice)
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Celebrate Maya Angelou
Take a moment to introduce your students to legendary writer and activist Maya Angelou. (Learning For Justice)
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Voter Education and Registration
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Massachusetts Primary Election
Tuesday, November 20th
Election Day 2022
Tuesday, November 8th
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) are non-partisan entities and do not support or oppose any political candidate or party.
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Where the fight for the Black vote really started | History Refocused
Black political power was at its height during Reconstruction. What happened? In this first episode of “History Refocused,” we learn how a former slave’s story shows both the immense power of the vote and the community-shattering effects when it’s taken away by violence. Abby Phillip talks with CNN’s Brandon Tensley to discuss why federal intervention was key both in the Reconstruction years and still today.
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Have you heard about the WPI Graduate Enrolled Student Survey?
It’s a survey that WPI has recently launched to try to learn graduate student’s perceptions about the WPI experience. WPI will use it to make improvements that help support you and other graduate students.
You should have received an email with a link that is personalized to you. It only takes 15 or 20 minutes to take the survey and is a chance to have your voice heard.
One top of that, there are some pretty great prizes that you can win including a wide variety of gift cards, WooSox baseball game tickets, a free WPI parking pass, and much more.
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Student Jobs and Internships
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Peer Well-being Ambassador
Position Description and Application
Plans are underway for the opening of WPI’s Center for Well-Being (CWB) in Fall 2022. The underlying philosophy of the Center is a holistic approach that empowers individuals to create their own well-being by fostering a sense of vitality (managing one’s cognitive, physical, emotional, and spiritual energy), purpose, enjoyment, connection, and community.
The CWB is currently hiring Well-Being Ambassadors to work in the Center for Well-Being Starting in A-term 2022
Well-being Ambassadors are students who are passionate about well-being and promoting a campus culture that supports the well-being of each member of the WPI community. Working with the CWB staff, students will gain direct experience with the CWB and develop skills in group facilitation, community outreach, communication, and knowledge of topics related to wellness.
The CWB will be staffed by Well-being Ambassadors who will welcome students to the CWB, be knowledgeable of resources and programs available at WPI that support well-being, help peers in accessing resources and answering questions, facilitate programming, and provide office support to the CWB. Well-being Ambassadors will be able to use their own creativity, talents, and knowledge of their communities to advance well-being in the ways best suited to their skills and talents. Well-being Ambassadors will be expected to commit at least 8 hours per week to the Center. Federal Work-Study is optional.
Interested in becoming a Part of the CWB?
To apply, please send your resume and a brief response to the following questions to Paula Fitzpatrick, Director of the Center for Well-Being, pfitzpatrick@wpi.edu. Questions? Please email pfitzpatrickp@wpi.edu or call 508-831-5528.
- Why do you think the Center for Wellbeing is important on WPI’s campus?
- What makes you want to become a WPI Wellbeing Ambassador?
- What are some of the obstacles that get in the way of student’s well-being at WPI?
- What specific skills, strengths, or experience would you bring to this position?
- In what ways do you prioritize your own well-being?
- How do you think we can build connection, community, and well-being on campus more broadly?
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Residential Program Assistant (RPA)
The Office of Pre-Collegiate Outreach Programs is looking to hire a team of undergraduates to assist in the daily implementation of the Launch, and Frontier. Summer Staff will be responsible for building connections with high school participants, serve as a resource to connect participants to the staff/offices to ensure their academic success. Additionally, you will be responsible for building and a sense of connection and belonging for our program participants. All summer staff will act as ambassadors from the WPI community, sharing WPI’s culture and traditions, while also serving as STEM role models and by sharing their personal experiences. A successful mentor will also exhibit a positive attitude, a sense of humor, and an interest to work with high school students and staff from diverse backgrounds.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and will close once positions are filled. If you have any questions, please contact Gregory Lane, Associate Director of Pre-Collegiate Outreach Programs at glane@wpi.edu.
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The Biden Administration has just announced the White House Internship Program for Summer 2022 but the deadline is upon us - May 2, 2022. And this is the FIRST internship class to be paid! To see the qualifications and apply, please see HERE! We can't wait to see YOU in the White House. |
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The New England Chinese Youth Summer Camp (NECYSC) is a bilingual program started in 1986 and has been held at Regis College in Weston, MA for over thirty-five years. NECYSC is a non-profit group, affiliated with the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association (GBCCA), whose goal is to bring youth together who are interested in Chinese culture and foster a sense of community.
The Residential Advisor (RA) position for ExplorAsian is a unique leadership role ideal for college/graduate students, and young professionals interested in education, youth mentoring, cultural involvement, and community service. We are looking for energetic, enthusiastic self-starters who are passionate about working with and helping youth gain an understanding of Chinese American history and identity and developing the next generation of Chinese American leaders.
ExplorAsian is a week-long intensive overnight camp program in which RAs are interacting with campers from morning until lights out in the evening.
This year's program will be held from July 30 to August 6, 2022, at Regis College in Weston, MA.
Prior experience working with teenagers and leadership experience is preferred. Flexibility, open-mindedness, and a positive attitude are necessary. Applicants must have already completed one year of college and at least 19 years old.
Email Kristine Guan kyguan@wpi.edu for more information.
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ALTAS Program Facilitators
The Division of Youth Opportunities is looking for talented and experienced youth workers/educators to join our team to work in the ALTAS Program (Audre Lorde Transformative Arts Summer) that serves middle school participants. The program engages youth in hands-on, justice-oriented and arts-focused project-based learning, provides social-emotional support, mentoring and positive peer experiences, as well as structured time to spend on summer reading and other choice activities throughout the day.
Requirements:
You should have proven experience working with youth ages 12-14, facilitating academic and social activities, and ensuring safe and positive environments.
Preferred qualifications:
It would be great if you also had some background in one or more of the following areas: arts programming, curriculum development, literacy support, staff supervision.
Responsibilities of the position:
- Create an engaging, fun, safe and respectful environment for participants and staff
- Facilitate choice activities daily in one of the following areas: arts, movement/physical activity, games, community service, etc.
- Support independent and small group reading engagement activities daily
- Implement the Homeplace curriculum twice a week with 10-12 students, focused on social-emotional learning, goal-setting, mentoring, etc.
- Plan and facilitate Choice Workshops once a week for a small group of young people, based on areas of interests or passions, including community explorations
- Support lunch, dismissal, and other daily logistics, including COVID protocols
- Ensure smooth transitions between activities within the program day
- Communicate with supervisors and/or families as needed related to attendance and events, successes and challenges participants may be having
- Serve as a role model to high school Education Fellows who are working within the program
- Engage in PD (before program launch and ongoing through one on one coaching and weekly Friday staff meetings)
- Collaborate with other program staff to reflect on program quality and make necessary improvements to curriculum and structures
Schedule/Pay:
- 6/20-7/8: Training/Planning weeks - 10-20 hours per week, TBD on exact times
- 7/11-8/12: ALTAS Program - 20 hours / week, 12:00-4:30 M-Th, 2 hours on Friday for staff PD
- 8/15-8/19: 10-20 hours of wrap up work to close out the program
- Compensation: $16/hour
ALTAS Program Admin Coordinator
The Division of Youth Opportunities is looking for a talented and experienced youth worker with administrative and supervision experience to join our team to work in the ALTAS Program (Audre Lorde Transformative Arts Summer) that serves middle schoolers. The program engages youth in hands-on, justice-oriented and arts- focused project-based learning, provides social-emotional support, mentoring and positive peer experiences, as well as structured time to spend on summer reading and other choice activities throughout the day.
Requirements:
You should have proven experience working with youth ages 12-14, facilitating academic and social activities, and ensuring safe and positive environments. You also must be able to manage a range of moving program and communication elements, staying calm and organized. Ideally, you will have experience in a role coordinating or supervising others in a work setting.
Responsibilities of the position:
- Coordinate and manage all aspects of participant and family recruitment and communication prior to program start
- Create an engaging, fun, safe and respectful environment for participants and staff
- Support staff so they are prepared and able to facilitate engaging and meaningful activities throughout the day
- Be ready to step in to facilitate activities if the need arises due to staff absence or other unexpected situations
- Organize systems for daily record-keeping related to all program elements (ex: staff timesheets, attendance, lunch orders, material orders, etc.)
- Supervise staff and participant arrival and dismissal each day
- Support all transitions throughout the day, ensuring for student safety and staff coordination
- Facilitate picking up, distributing and monitoring student lunch period
- Communicate with families as needed related to attendance and events, successes and challenges participants may be having
- Support program measurement and evaluation using tools and protocols provided
- Serve as role models to high school Education Fellows who are working within the program
- Support students one on one related to any challenges they may be having with other students and/or staff and engage in restorative conversations and mentoring as needed
- Engage in PD (before program launch and ongoing through one on one coaching and weekly Friday staff meetings)
- Collaborate with other program staff to reflect on program quality and make necessary improvements to curriculum and structures
Schedule/Pay:
- 6/20-7/8: Training/Planning weeks - 15-20 hours per week, TBD on exact times
- 7/11-8/12: ALTAS Program - 30 hours / week, 9:30-4:30 M-Th, 2 hours on Friday for staff PD
- 8/15-8/19: 10-20 hours of wrap up work to close out the program
- Compensation: $17/hour
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Professional Development Opportunities
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Bystander Intervention to stop anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment
February - June 2022
Various Days of the Week
To combat the current rise in harassment and discrimination and to also proactively prepare for the future increase of hate incidents, Advancing Justice | Chicago is partnering with New York-based nonprofit Hollaback! and CAIR-Chicago to plan and implement an aggressive scaling up of locally-led bystander hate incident intervention trainings for community members.
Disclaimer: website contains an anti-Asian visual.
Register Here
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National Student Leadership Diversity Virtual Conference
Saturday, April 30, 2022
The National Student Leadership Diversity Convention is the largest national gathering of student leaders and campus based advisors to address the most critical topics of diversity and social justice challenging our campuses today. Through experiential workshops, keynote sessions, and round table discussions teams of students will explore various elements of diversity and how they affect themselves and their campuses. During the conference students will be led through facilitated workshops to develop a Campus Action Plan for a program or event that the teams selects to work on together on in order to bring back a piece of the NSLDC experience to their own campuses.
Email multiculturalaffairs@wpi.edu if you are interested in attending. We will cover your registration fee.
Register Here |
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Scholarship Opportunities
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Title: Write an Essay on the Future of the Internet To Win $1,000!
Enter a writing contest organized by IPXO, the world’s first fully automated IPv4 lease platform, to win a $1,000 scholarship!
The rules are simple:
- Write a 1200-2500 word essay in English discussing the following topic: 5 ways that the Internet of Things could change our future
- The contest begins on April 27 and ends on June 6
- Submit your essay via email at essay-submissions@ipxo.com
The author of the most creative essay will win the IPXO Scholarship: A cash prize of $1,000! The winner will be announced on June 20.
Find more details about the contest and the scholarship here: IPXO Scholarship Contest.
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OMA Staff Virtual Office Hours
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CRC Chaplain Student Hours
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Academic Support Services
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WPI Multicultural, Intercultural, International, and Religious Community
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Campus Advocacy Resources
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- Dean of Students | Student resources for advocacy, citizenship, empowerment, inclusion, respect, and support
- Office of International Student Life (ISL) | Student resources for international support, education, community, and advocacy
- Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) | Student resources for accommodation services, advocacy, support, and assistance
- Title IX | Student resources for anti-discrimination policy and equal opportunity education
- Student Development and Counseling Center (SDCC) | Student resources for counseling, therapy, and mental health/wellness
- Graduate Student Government (GSG) | Student resources for addressing the social and academic needs of graduate students
- Student Government Association (SGA) | Student resources for addressing the social and academic needs of undergraduate students
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Additional Support and Resources
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(OMA newsletter is distributed on Wednesdays weekly)
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