PC, United Way to offer online inclusion course

Peninsula College and United Way of Clallam County invite the community to an online Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) professional development session that aims to evoke empathy, increase cultural competence, and enhance self-awareness, called Factuality.

“Factuality is a facilitated dialogue, crash course, and interactive experience, that simulates structural inequality, in America,” according to the program’s website. “Participants assume the identities of the characters… encountering a series of fact-based advantages and limitations based on the intersection of their race, class, gender, faith, sexual orientation, age, and ability.”

The 90-minute Zoom session, which will run from noon-1:30 p.m. on Friday, March 24, is intended to be informative for everyone – whether they are new to DEI conversations or well-versed in them.

“We are very excited to partner with Peninsula College to bring this important conversation to the peninsula,” said Christy Smith, CEO of United Way of Clallam County, “We hope the participants walk away looking to build connections across our community.”

The live, interactive training is open to community members throughout Clallam and Jefferson County. 100 slots are available for the session. If the session fills, a waiting list will be created to determine if interest warrants a second session.

All participants will take part in the training through an individual computer with the ability to put comments in the chat feature of Zoom. The session is not intended to be viewed in a group setting.

Participants must register by Wednesday, March 21. Cost for the event is $25 with scholarships available provided by United Way.

To register, visit factuality.givesmart.com. For more information, email to info@unitedwayclallam.org.

“I’m really proud that the college can be a leader not only in DEI conversations on campus but in the broader community as well, enabling us to effect greater change across the region,” Peninsula College president Suzy Ames said.

Peninsula College has served the north Olympic Peninsula since 1961 with a mission to educate diverse populations of learners through community-engaged programs and services that advance student equity and success.