Expanded Opportunities to Support the SHECP 2021 Academic Program

“We are pleased to expand our programming to include even more dialogue and participation from the SHECP community,” states Stephanie R. Rolph, PhD, Academic Director for SHECP. “In keeping with the format implemented for the SHECP 2020 Academic Program, we are identifying a series of summer keynote events and speakers whose work demonstrates the interactions of race and poverty across several topics. As those events come together, we wanted to get started on a collective exploration of our theme now.”

“SHECP recognizes its responsibility to move forward with a commitment to educating toward equity and human dignity in a manner that explicitly recognizes the ways in which race intersects with poverty. This is a commitment that should inform our work within the field of higher education, but it is also a commitment that must inform our organizational practices,” states Jim Langford, Executive Director for SHECP.

SHECP invites participation across the Consortium, including Community Partners, Alumni, Staff/Faculty from its Member Institutions, and other supporters to engage in the 2021 Academic Program through the following three points of execution:

• Personal growth and internal community-building to reflect on individual dispositions about race and social location as daily practice.
  • Fall 2020 – Community discussion groups will meet to share their reading of The Racial Healing Handbook, by Anneliese Singh, PhD, LPC. On October 5, 2020, the SHECP community is invited to attend a session led by Dr. Singh, “Practicing Equity at the Intersection of Race and Poverty: An Event Featuring Dr. Anneliese Singh.”
• Professional development work aimed at refreshing our understanding of the academic frameworks for teaching and practicing intersectionality as educators, mentors and community members who work across a diversity of professional fields and engage across a variety of communities.
  • Spring 2021 – Community discussion groups will meet to discuss their reading of Intersectionality (Key Concepts), Second Edition, by authors Patricia Hill Collins and Sirma Bilge.
• Structured support and mentorship for the SHECP 2021 Summer Interns through the design and execution of activities and events that align with the theme.
  • Summer 2021
    • May 2021 – Completion of SHECP modules related to professional practice, introduction to poverty studies and program theme
    • June/July 2021 – Weekly cohort meetings, keynote events and reflective activities

The book discussions will provide community members the tools to build their personal and professional capacities toward effecting change, modeling equitable practices and contributing in meaningful ways to racial justice. The discussions will also pave the road for the structured work and mentorship that will take place during the SHECP 2021 Summer Internship Program.

For more information about the SHECP 2021 program, contact Stephanie R. Rolph, PhD, Academic Director, at rolphsc@shepherdconsortium.org, or visit shepherdconsortium.com.

Media Contact:
Cheryl Musial
coms@shepherdcortium.org
770-605-0492