The Knapsack Institute

For the past decade, the Matrix Center and the Women’s and Ethnic Studies Programs have hosted this curriculum transformation workshop for faculty who teach, or are interested in teaching, issues of diversity: gender, race, class, sexuality, etc. The name, “The Knapsack Institute” hails from Peggy McIntosh’s renowned article, "White privilege and male privilege: A personal account of coming to see correspondences through work in women's studies,” in which she states:
"I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was 'meant' to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, assurances, tools, maps, guides, codebooks, passports, visas, clothes, compass, emergency gear, and blank checks." (Peggy McIntosh, 1988 "White privilege and male privilege: A personal account of coming to see correspondences through work in women's studies." Excerpted from Working Paper 189, Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, Wellesley, MA.)
The Knapsack Institute is offered every summer at UCCS, and can also be brought to your campus or institution. While K-12 teachers and non-profit staff members have participated in the UCCS KI, and are welcome to continue to do so, we are in the process of developing a KI specifically for each of these populations, to be offered during 2009. These instititues will address the same issues detailed below, but focus specifically on the K-12 and non-profit contexts. If you or your organization is interested in participating in one of these new programs, or in bringing a KI to your organization, please contact Dena Samuels (dsamuels@uccs.edu) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In this Institute we will discuss the concept of unpacking our "invisible weightless knapsacks" of privilege, and in so doing, we hope to provide you with a knapsack full of useful tools to use as you begin (or continue) to teach the concepts of privilege and oppression in your classrooms. The Knapsack Institute welcomes ALL faculty committed to improving their teaching around issues of privilege and oppression. The Knapsack Institute provides educators with a framework for teaching about privilege and oppression, as well as a forum for sharing ideas and strategies. The Institute will focus on the foundational works on curriculum transformation, as well as recent work in the areas of gender, race, class and sexuality studies. We will emphasize pedagogical approaches to teaching diversity, and will include hands-on activities for the classroom. As our nation becomes increasingly diverse, it is imperative that educators have the understanding and resources to effectively navigate discussions about diversity and inequality in the classroom. Research shows that most teachers are unprepared to productively discuss and confront diversity issues. Race, class, gender and sexuality are highly personal and emotionally-laden subjects. They may evoke a range of responses in students, from hostility and anger, to guilt and depression. The workshop will prepare faculty to preempt and manage such responses and be better prepared. Our goal is to help you create an inclusive and empowering classroom experience for all of your students. The Institute will both contribute to the professional growth of faculty participants, and enhance the commitment to diversity at your home institution. The Institute will provide support and networking opportunities to enhance recruitment and retention of diverse faculty; provide opportunities for both informal and formal mentoring; support and provide resources to develop curriculum and share ideas regarding teaching diversity issues at home institutions; offer leadership development; and contribute to student learning. Research documents that a diverse curriculum benefits all students. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What topics will be addressed? The Institute provides faculty members with time and support to develop a new course, or to transform an existing course. Faculty interested in developing an Introduction to Diversity course for their campus or community are also encouraged to attend. An integrative framework will be introduced, emphasizing the matrix of race, gender, class, sexuality and other axes of privilege and oppression. The Institute will offer specialized workshops on the impact of race and gender on students' evaluations of teachers; specific issues facing white teachers; specific issues facing teachers of color; teaching about transgender; teaching with film; addressing immigration issues in the classroom. In addition, we will address a host of topics including the following: Topics:
Setting the Scene for Effective Dialogue ice breakers groundrules frontloading discomfort in the classroom   Curriculum Transformation theoretical foundations understanding and implementing the Matrix Framework activities, exercises and media that work introducing race, gender, class and sexuality issues into ANY class   Facilitating difficult discussions discovering and managing your own "triggers" pre-empting and dealing with an "ouch" moment preparing for the emotional classroom process-learning for students and educators   Resistance shooting the messenger dealing with difficult students overcoming pitfalls   Building Diversity on Campus support from the administration supporting faculty connecting with student and community organizations   The workshop will provide hands-on tools and strategies that participants can employ on their campuses and in their classrooms. Participants complete a list of assigned readings prior to the workshop and are asked to discuss the course that they would like to create or retool. The Institute focuses on providing attendees with a knapsack full of useful tools to use to begin (or continue) to teach the concepts of privilege and oppression in the classroom. The institute has included a variety of guest speakers over the years, including Lynda Dickson, Christina Jimenez, John-Michael Warner, and Tre Wentling, all from UCCS, as well as renowned Men’s Studies scholar and philosopher Harry Brod, and sociologists of race and privilege Becky Thompson and Charles Gallagher. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Knapsack Institute is sponsored by The Matrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Inclusion, in collaboration with the Women’s and Ethnic Studies Program. It is designed for university faculty (particularly those new to teaching this subject matter) and future faculty members, although high school educators may also benefit from participation. The Women’s and Ethnic Studies Programs at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs has received national attention for it’s model of interdisciplinary collaboration and it’s pioneering intersectional approach to race, gender, class and sexuality studies. For the first five years, the KI was offered to UCCS faculty, and in its sixth year was opened up to faculty from around the country, including Temple University, Duke, Susquehanna, and UCLA. In addition to college faculty, participants have included high school teachers and non-profit staff members. Participants also hail from a range of disciplines, including sociology, English, nursing, math, engineering, and public safety. Evaluations are consistently outstanding, and clearly this Institute is meeting a strong need. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Workshop Facilitators: Brenda J. Allen, Ph.D., Professor of Communication, University of Colorado at Denver Abby Ferber, Director of Women's Studies and Professor of Sociology, UCCS Andrea Herrera, Professor of Women’s and Ethnic Studies, and Literature, UCCS Christina Jimenez, Associate Professor of History Dena Samuels, Instructor of Women's Studies and Ethnic Studies, UCCS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guest Speakers: Becky Thompson Sociologist Becky Thompson is the author of many books including, most recently, When the Center is on Fire: Passionate Social Theory for our Times (co-author, Diane Harriford); A Promise and a Way of Life: White Antiracist Activism; and the co-editor of Fingernails Across the Chalkboard: Poetry and Prose on HIV/AIDS from the Black Diaspora. She is the director of the Women’s and Ethnic Studies Program at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Tre Wentling is currently a Sociology PhD student at Syracuse University with a focus on health inequalities, and transgender studies. Tre received an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 2004. Tre also has two years experience teaching race, gender, sexuality, and sociology courses, as well as multiple presentations at regional and national conferences on various transgender topics. This year, Tre coauthored "Teaching Transgender," which was published in Teaching Sociology, and co-edited an upcoming volume titled, Sex, Gender, and Sexuality: The New Basics (Oxford Press). Additional guest speakers, representing a variety of disciplines, will also contribute. Guests will be selected based upon participants' particular fields and interests. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Who should apply? This workshop is designed for educators who are interested in bringing discussions of race, gender, sexuality, etc. into their classrooms and workshops and who would like to broaden their strategies for doing so in an effective way. New and experienced faculty, K-12 educators, graduate students and staff and board members of non-profits and community organizations are encouraged to apply. The workshop is aimed at those who are relatively new to teaching this subject matter. Participation of faculty from all disciplines is encouraged, especially those who do not currently emphasize race and gender diversity in their curriculum. Over 70 participants have come from Anthropology, Engineering, English, Foreign Languages and Cultures, Geography, Math, Nursing, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. Registration is extremely limited. Universities are encouraged to send teams of faculty interested in developing curriculum transformation workshops for their home institutions. Group discounts available. If two or more individuals from your organization or institution attend, they qualify for a 25% discount. Cost: Registration Fee: $1000.00 (This fee includes required readings and materials, continental breakfast and lunch all three days, and one dinner banquet. Applicants are encouraged to seek funding from their home institutions.) Remaining meals are not included. There are a variety of choices for dining both on and off campus. Lodging is also not included. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Travel/Lodging: The Institute begins officially on June 2-5, 2010, but there will be a welcoming reception on Tuesday evening, June 2, 2009. This reception is optional, but you are encouraged to attend if possible. Colorado Springs is easily accessible by air; participants may fly directly to Colorado Springs (COS), or to Denver International Airport (DIA), which is one hour away. The approximate cost of taking a taxicab from the Colorado Springs Airport to UCCS is $35. Lodging On campus: a block of campus dorm rooms are reserved. Standard room with roommate - TBA – includes linens, parking and recreation center pass Single/private - TBA – includes linens, parking and recreation center pass Lunch: TBA* *prices subject to change  All prices include linen and UCCS Recreation Center pass (no toiletries). The dorm rooms are an inexpensive option, but do not expect luxury; standard mattresses may not be considered hotel quality. Please consider bringing an egg crate mattress topper.  Payment in full for entire stay is due before the start of the Institute. If you are accepted into the Institute (see the section "How Do I Sign Up?" below), an on-campus lodging form will be included with your registration materials; payment for on-campus lodging must be made separately from your Institute registration fee. Payment for on-campus lodging is non-refundable. For more information about campus lodging go here For more information about local Hotels, go here.   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parking Parking will be free on campus during the Institute. If you're planning to drive or rent a car, you will be able to park in campus Hub lots without charge. To view a campus map, click here. Colorado Springs, the Ideal Location: While in Colorado Springs, plan to spend some time exploring our incredible surroundings. With Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak just a few miles away, this is the ideal spot to get away to. We are also one hour from Denver, and only a few hours from Sand Dunes National Monument, Rocky Mountain National Park, Vail, Aspen, and many mountain towns. A little further away you will find Pagosa Springs, Durango, Telluride, and Mesa Verde National Park. For more local attractions see our list. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How do I apply? To apply, please complete the online Knapsack Institute Application form. The Institute will review your responses and, if you are accepted into the Institute, you will be notified by e-mail of your acceptance and registration materials will be mailed to you. You will be required to return the registration materials and submit your full payment as soon as possible to reserve your spot. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, until all spots are filled. If you are accepted into the Institute, you will have two options for registering: I. Non-academic credit registration (standard); II. Graduate credit registration through the Extended Studies Program at UCCS; participants who register under this option may earn 3 hours of graduate credit through the Sociology Department at UCCS ; academic course registration details TBA ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Registrations for graduate credit will cost an additional $150 above the standard $1000 Institute registration fee, and will require additional coursework to be completed after the conclusion of the Institute. Contact Information: Phone: (719) 255-4764 Email:dmiller4@uccs.edu Address: The Matrix Center University of Colorado at Colorado Springs  1420 Austin Bluffs pkwy Colorado Springs, CO 80918