Decades of neuroscience research demonstrates everyone absorbs stereotypes around race, class, and culture that they encounter, even when we consciously resist these messages. Our brains are wired to make mental shortcuts, and this means we make snap judgments about others based on these unconscious biases. This training will explain this phenomenon, develop volunteers’ self-awareness for how bias impacts them and their volunteerism, and offer specific tools and strategies to overcome it.

The session will explore the various levels and types of diversity (sex, age, socioeconomic status, race, etc.), and how these identities impact our interactions across different cultures and belief systems. Training objectives will include the following:

• develop self-awareness about how our identities and experience impact us;
• develop an understanding about how our identities and experiences can give us blinders to the experiences of others;
• increase empathy in order to better work with families from different backgrounds. 

Who Should Attend:

CASA volunteers, staff and board members.

Participant Registration and Cost:

Pre-registration is required via the DCJS on-line registration system. The conference registration is free for participants. To register as a participant, please click on one of the links below. 

• Please note that the DCJS registration system does not have the capacity to sort eligible from ineligible registrants. Therefore, anyone who registers will receive a confirmation. Registrants not accepted will be notified via the email address provided during registration.

Participants can choose to attend the training on one of the following dates:

September 14
The College of William and Mary 
Sadler Student Center – Chesapeake A
200 Stadium Drive
Williamsburg, VA  23186
map

Cancellation Policy:  If you are unable to attend the training, please notify us by 09/06/19.  Contact information is below.

September 28
Liberty University School of Law
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24502

Cancellation Policy:  If you are unable to attend  the training, please notify us by 09/20/19.  Contact information is below.

Lodging in Williamsburg

A block of rooms is reserved for participants. Participants can make reservations for Friday, September 13, 2019 by calling the Holiday Inn Express & Suites at (757) 941-1057 or (800) 465-4329 and mention the CASA Training or Group Code CCV.  The current cut off date for reservations is Friday, August 30.  After this date, rooms and the $98 rate are not guaranteed to be available.  Participants are responsible for all room fees and associated costs.

Lodging in Lynchburg

A block of rooms is reserved for participants attending the training in Lynchburg. Participants can make reservations for Friday, September 27, 2019 by calling the La Quinta Inn & Suites at (434) 847-8655 and mentioning the CASA Training in order to receive the $99 rate.  They can also go to the La Quinta by Wyndham website and enter Group Code is CGVCJS under the Special Rates tab.  

https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/laquinta

The current cut off date for reservations is Friday, September 6.  After this date, rooms and the $99 rate are not guaranteed to be available.  Participants are responsible for all room fees and associated costs.

Lunch: Participants will be provided lunch.