Staff Workshops | Multicultural Education Program

Please note that the MEP Program is currently on pause. Workshops are not available at this time.

The Multicultural Education Program is pleased to offer workshops for staff and campus departments that address issues of diversity, inclusion and multiculturalism.

Open Enrollment Workshops for individual staff members are available each semester. Enrollment for workshops begins about 1 month before the start of the semester.
To schedule a workshop for your department, browse the selection below and choose the one that best meets your needs.
The Multicultural Education Program is also happy to meet the needs of your organization by creating a customized workshop. Tell us if you're interested in working with MEP to create a custom workshop.
If you would like to see related offerings by our campus partners, such as the Staff Ombuds Office, click on the Campus Resources.

Looking In / Looking Out: Exploring Workplace Diversity at Berkeley

This workshop engages participants in exploring workplace diversity by reflecting on what makes individuals unique and how our identities and experiences affect our worldview. Through telling stories, participants learn more about themselves and others in their organization. This interactive workshop also provides opportunities to practice communication skills for understanding across difference.

The outcomes of the workshop are:

To reflect on who we are
To learn about others around us
To explore the impact of identity, power and privilege in the workplace
To practice skills for interaction across difference
To share resources

All of the MEP workshops, including the Looking In / Looking Out workshop, use experiential learning techniques. The workshop features small and large group interactions and discussions. Further, the workshop uses activities that provide a common experience for the group, and that provide ideas for use in everyday work in a diverse environment like UC Berkeley. Resources are also discussed, so participants can connect with other offices and opportunities. The workshop is approximately 2 - 2.5 hours in length.

Schedule a workshop for your department or group.

First Take / Second Look: Exploring Unconscious Bias

This workshop engages participants in discussions of unconscious bias. It includes exploring the unintentional ways our behaviors might be problematic for others, as well as what to do as a recipient or bystander of biased behavior.

The outcomes of the workshop are:

To understand and practice identifying unconscious bias
To recognize the impacts and consequences of unconscious bias in the workplace
To explore strategies for responding to situations involving bias, insensitivity and microaggression
To share campus resources

All of the MEP workshops, including the First Take/Second Look workshop, use experiential learning techniques. The workshop features small and large group interactions, discussions and scenarios. Further, the workshop uses activities that provide a common experience for the group, and that provide ideas for use in everyday work in a diverse environment like UC Berkeley. Resources are also discussed, so participants can connect with other offices and opportunities. The workshop is approximately 2 - 2.5 hours in length.

Schedule a workshop for your department or group

Let's Talk: Engaging in Cross-Cultural Communication

This workshop engages participants in conversations and activities regarding “what gets in the way” when communicating across difference. The session includes a review of interactive communication theory, and offers activities to examine the impact of culture and identity on our communication styles. Focus is primarily on communicating across differences in the U.S. context. Participants work with each other to discuss and apply this information in varied situations.

The outcomes of the workshop are:

To increase awareness of personal communication styles
To increase awareness of the diversity and complexity of communication styles
To increase understanding of conflict born of miscommunication
To explore the “Intent vs. Impact” model as it relates to communication dynamics
To learn and practice skills that contribute to more effective cross-cultural communication

All of the MEP workshops, including this Let's Talk workshop, use experiential learning techniques. The workshop features small and large group interactions and discussions. Further, the workshop uses activities that provide a common experience for the group, and that provide ideas for use in everyday work in a diverse environment like UC Berkeley. Resources are also discussed, so participants can connect with other offices and opportunities. The workshop is approximately three hours in length.

Schedule a workshop for your department or group.

All in-person MEP workshop locations are wheelchair-accessable. To request communications, mobility access, and other accessibility accommodations, please email mep@berkeley.edu or contact Disability Access and Compliance.