Our organization was pleased to lead an Implicit Bias Training for the Transformation Yoga Project on Friday, September 20.
Although the group from Transformation Yoga Project (TYP) was small – the Implicit Bias Training was a success. This training is facilitiated by YWCA Tri-County Area’s (YW3CA) Advocacy Team – Miss Kelly, Miss Sheri, and Miss Ashley.
The group from TYP consisted of board members, administrative staff, and direct service workers. Colleen DeVirgiliis, TYP’s Director of Training, reached out to our Advocacy Team requesting this training last month after receiving a glowing recommendation from YW3CA’s own Board President, Sara Wein.
The Implicit Bias Training offered by YW3CA begins with introductions and discussion around group expectations and needs for the training. This conversation often begins with introducing the four agreements of Courageous Conversation.
Stay engaged, experience discomfort, speak your truth, and expect and accept nonclosure are the four agreements of Courageous Conversation.
To stay engaged means “remaining morally, emotionally, intellectually, and socially involved in the dialogue of conversation.” The second agreement, experience discomfort, acknowledges that discomfort is inevitable, especially in dialogue about race, and that participants make a commitment to bring issues into the open. to speak your truth means being open about your thoughts and feelings and not just saying what you think others want to hear.
It is important to facilitate the understanding of Courageous Conversations beginning our Implicit Bias Training. Our Advocacy Team then opens up discussion to create a safe and open space for the conversation to continue throughout the day. They do this by asking each group what additional guidelines they believe should be in place for the day of training.
Once these guidelines and the initial conversation is underway, the training begins by uncovering what bias is, why it exists and what it may look like in different sectors of our lives. The next section of training centers around the historical perspectives about race in America. The last section of the training focuses on the need to dismantle race.
Following each training, the Advocacy Team allows the group to complete feedback surveys. The participants at Transformation Yoga Project gave our staff excellent and good ratings for the day. The feedback also requests that each person write a short sentence that describes how they feel at the end of the training.
The feedback the Advocacy team received from TYP participants included the following short statements:
“Sense of gratitude for their team and the work they do”
“Inspired to create conversation about diversity and bring these lessons into their work and message”
“Feeling like there is much more work to do collectively and appreciative of the opportunity to work with YWCA.”
Our Advocacy Team is thrilled to be able to offer this Implicit Bias Training to school districts, businesses, and organizations interested in dissecting their own bias.
To learn more or inquire about hosting an Implicit Bias Training at your organization, please contact Ashley Faison, Advocacy Manager, at afaision@ywcatricountyarea.org or 610-323-1888 ext. 210.
