When we create novel curriculum that fails to connect the content to what is happening in society, teaching and learning becomes an exercise in futility.

During a classroom discussion, the educator shares that diabetes is more prevalent among African Americans and Hispanics and asks students to consider how nurses could reduce the risk for diabetes. One student responds “We should teach them the importance of diet and exercise because they are usually obese and that’s a risk factor.” Except for a few audible sighs, an eerie silence blankets the room, and a wave of angst permeates the air. The educator, not quite sure how best to respond, quietly affirms that obesity is a risk factor for diabetes and abruptly starts a new topic. What just happened?

Highly effective educators who are prepared to facilitate race-related discourse and interrupt negative assumptions linked to race are critical to the elimination of health care disparities. This workshop uses the multicultural education work of James Banks to strengthen the capacity of educators to create learning environments that contextualize race, disrupt negative stereotypes, and allow students to collectively construct and restructure thoughts regarding what determines health. Administrators and educators who seek to deconstruct mental models that perpetuate health care disparities and uphold the tenets of health equity should attend this workshop.

Visit here for information and registration.