Our “tool kit” consists of seven major components:
- Building Community: before each event, group dinners were held to build community among members of the traveling teams.
- Gallery Walk: at the beginning of the day for participants to take role-based color post-its and answer two questions: “Why are you here?” and “What do you bring to the dialogue?” We posted the data on the walls and invited participants to scan the full set of information.
- Framing: an introduction to framing as a way to think constructively about race.
- The Fishbowl: an exercise on race and framing that asked participants to reflect on their responsibilities and opportunities to engage in conversations across boundaries.
- World Café: participants rotate through discussions on a range of questions ranging from the Obama presidency, demographic change, the media, frames and the dynamics of classroom discussions.
- Role Analysis Group: a group exercise where students, administratiors, and faculty first separately and then together examine their responsibilities to engage and influence conversations of racial diversity.
- Debriefing: a discussion and summary of the event and the takeaways and changes in thinking and practice that could result from the day.