Since 2004, the Cultural Center has organized an annual ASK for Social Justice program for the campus community. The purpose is to host a program that explores the Attitudes, Skills, and Knowledge necessary to promote social justice.

The Cultural Center's 8th annual ASK for Social Justice Program in March 2011 was thought-provoking and fun:
“Navigating the Realness: Mediating the Coexistence of Social Justice and Communication Conflict.”  The program was a one-day conference for the Pioneer Valley college student community.

The conference included:

Four workshops were offered (workshop descriptions and facilitator bios on the left menu bar):

• Dancing with Power and Conflict: Communicating Effectively Across Hierarchical Relationships
• From a Social Justice Frame: Dismantling Language in the Context of ‘Ability’
• Differences among us: Obstacles or Pathways to New Understanding?
• Strategic Questioning: The art of co-creating new information and new answers to old questions

Saturday, March 26, 2011: Franklin Patterson Hall, Hampshire College 

9:00-9:30 a.m.:
• Check-in (Main lobby)
• Continental Breakfast (2nd floor lobby)

9:30-10:00 a.m.:
• Welcome (Main Lecture Hall)

10:10-11:40 a.m.: Session One

11:40-12:45 p.m.: Lunch (Served in faculty lounge, 3rd floor).
• Take advantage of this time to check out the Hampshire College and community resources as well as to network with others. All activities are on the 2nd floor unless noted otherwise. Full descriptions of these activities are found in your folder.

12:50-2:20 p.m.: Session Two

2:20-2:45 p.m.: Snack break (Served in faculty lounge, 3rd floor)
• Take advantage of this time to check out the Hampshire College and community resources as well as to network with others

2:50-4:20 p.m.: Session Three

4:20-5:00 p.m.: Closing reflections session for all participants (Main Lecture Hall)

Check out the list of workshop titles, descriptions, and facilitator bios are on the left menu bar!

Very special thanks and appreciation to our supportive co-sponsors: The Five College Student Coordinating Board; Hampshire College's department of community advocacy, campus leadership and activities, Civil Liberties and Public Policy, community health collaborative, dean of students office, global education office, HACU (School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies), office for diversity and multicultural education, office of the President, spiritual life, and residential life.

Past ASK for Social Justice Programs
March 5 and 6, 2010, as part of the Cultural Center's 20th anniversary celebration: "Multiracial Strategies for Advancing Racial Justice"

February 21, 2009
"Integrating Principles of Social Justice into Our Professions" Conference

March 30, 2008
"Communicating through Difference" workshop
 
October 25, 2006
"Dialogue: Race and Safe Space at Hampshire College"

February 18, 2006
"Approaching Difficult Conversations": A workshop for exploration of communication across differences

February 18-19, 2005
"Addressing Interracial Dynamics in the Classroom and Beyond" workshop

February 21, 2004
"Student Leadership Conference for the Five Colleges: Integrating Principles of Social Justice into Your Daily Life" as part of the Cultural Center's 15th anniversary celebration.

Questions about the ASK for Social Justice program can be directed to culturalcenter@hampshire.edu.