Spalding University, a private institution located 100 years ago in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, is offering an online professional development program and training on anti-racism – Restorative practices for the anti-racist journey – aimed at individuals or groups in the public sector , non-profit or corporate organizations. It is the first offering of a new interdisciplinary training and continuing education institute with a social justice theme called The Well at Spalding University.
Spalding University is a Catholic institution founded by the Nazareth Charity Sisters in 1814, and its campus has been located in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, since 1920. Spalding was designated the world’s first Compassionate University.
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, January 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Consistent with its mission to promote peace and justice through education, Spalding University announced on Martin Luther King Jr. that it is launching online training and a program professional development in anti-racism.
Available nationwide to individuals and public sector groups, corporations and non-profit organizations, the variety of half-day and full-day online courses – collectively called Restorative Practices for the Anti-Racist Day – will teach concepts of cultural humility and restorative practices as a means of bringing about positive social change.
Registration is now open for Restorative Practices for the anti-racist journey with live virtual sessions scheduled to begin in late January. It is the first prominent offer of a reorganized interdisciplinary institute for thematic training of social justice in Spalding – called The Well – which will be hosted at the School of Social Work. Visit spalding.edu/TheWell to register.
Spalding Restorative Practices for the Anti-Racist Journey is an interdisciplinary program developed and facilitated by teachers and team leaders from the Center for Peace and Spiritual Renewal, School of Social Work, School of Professional Psychology and Collective Care Center at the university, which It is one of the country’s only behavioral health clinics to specialize in treating trauma and stress based on race.
The faculty and staff who act as facilitators of the program are among Louisville’s leading scholars on issues of restorative practices and dialogue, conflict resolution, polarity management, cultural humility, institutional oppression and racial trauma.
“This program is designed for individuals and groups who are interested in addressing meaningfully and constructively and healing race relationships in their professional and personal lives through self-exploration, speaking the truth, difficult dialogue and action”, said Spalding, Executive Director for Peace and Spiritual Renewal Chandra Irvin, who helped lead the Charleston (South Carolina) Lighting Project of community conversations and healing after the tragic shooting of nine black parishioners at Emanuel AME Church in 2015. “ The teachers and staff at Spalding who collaborated to create this program have great experience in these spaces and bring a diverse set of perspectives. The organizations participating in this training in Spalding will make a valuable investment that demonstrates a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. “
Certified in 2011 as the world’s first Compassionate University, Spalding is a historic private institution that has been located for 100 years in downtown Louisville – which, as Breonna Taylor’s hometown, saw months of demonstrations last year in the name of racial justice, including several that took place on or near Spalding campus.
“Spalding’s mission states that we are a diverse community of students dedicated to meeting the needs of the time, promoting peace and justice through education and service,” said Spalding President Tori Murden McClure. “As last year showed, pain and suffering because of racial injustice and inequality continue to prevail in our society. Offering Restorative Practices for the Anti-Racist Journey training program is an example of Spalding meeting the needs of the time, using the experience, wisdom and teaching skills of our teachers and staff to help promote a more just world. “
Upon completion, Restorative Practices participants for the anti-racist journey will receive three levels of Spalding certification badges – Bronze, Silver and Ebony (highest level) – based on the number of sessions completed, and these credentials will be suitable for share on resumes or professional profiles online. The hours completed in the program may apply to continuing education requirements for social workers, and Spalding plans to seek approval for continuing education credits from governance boards of other professions in the future.
“The Spalding School of Social Work has a rich tradition of providing quality continuing education for professionals and community members across Kentucky,” said the chair of the School of Social Work, Dr. Shannon Cambron. “The Well is the next chapter for us. It is a reflection of our commitment to meet the needs of the time, co-creating an interdisciplinary space for training and engagement with a lens of justice and equity – a space that equips people with the skills to start the work of dismantling white supremacy and injustice. Restorative practices for the anti-racist journey is evidence of that commitment, and we are excited about this new chapter. “
For more information on participating in Restorative Practices for the anti-racist journey, visit spalding.edu/TheWell.
About Spalding University: Founded in 1814 and located in downtown Louisville since 1920, Spalding is a historic private institution that offers graduate, undergraduate and acceleration programs in a variety of fields of study. The regionally accredited university offers an innovative schedule of seven six-week sessions per year, allowing students to earn a bachelor’s degree at their own pace. Their athletic teams compete in Division III of the NCAA. Spalding was recognized as the world’s first Compassionate University. More information is available at Spalding.edu.
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Steve Jones Spalding University 859-229-6393 [email protected]