Cultural awareness and competency

Cohort 2 Private
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Framing Question: How do we build an awareness of culture in mentorship to encompass many or all groups of underrepresented peoples?

There needs to be more cultural awareness and humility to create an inclusive community and increase comfort in STEM. Building an awareness of culture creates bidirectional learning. This is more inclusive and impactful for all involved. Breaking down ego building and power dynamics of Western science. Knowledge does not look the same in all areas. It is important to create a sense of belonging. Some training on this topic can be impactful, but the folks who seek it out are typically those with an open mindset.

Activities to Date

• Participants from Cohort 1 used a journal/book club as their primary activity. They picked either an article or a webinar and then had a discussion around the topic. The article/webinar was a jumping-off point for the conversations, and the assignment made the beginning of the conversation tangible.

Outcomes So Far

• This community of practice has developed an understanding of some of the work that is being done in this area of cultural awareness and competency.
• Each member of the team found that this work helped them determine what to do moving forward.

Next Steps

• What types of activities are most valuable in increasing awareness of culture between mentors and mentees?
• Perhaps include a mandatory training or activities for building community and engaging in conversations (e.g., lunch). It might have been helpful to have a list of possible articles and webinars to choose from rather than starting from scratch.

Community Members

Cohort 1

Amy Bishop, Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Anchorage
Amanda Glazier, Prince William Sound College
Sonia Kumar, University of Alaska Fairbanks