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Training and Development

Diversity Advocacy provides several opportunities for the campus community to engage in hands-on learning experiences focused on diversity education and inclusion to increase awareness, knowledge and skills.

Safe Zone

Illinois State University takes pride in its diverse student population and values diversity in all forms. In an effort to provide support to Illinois State's gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender (GLBT) community, the Dean of Students Office has created Safe Zone.

Safe Zone provides safe spaces on campus that are highly visible and easily identifiable to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons, places where support and understanding are readily available and where bigotry and discrimination are not tolerated.

Safe Zone is designed to provide a visible and non-threatening way for faculty/staff to make a statement that understanding and support for the GLBT community is offered here at Illinois State. It also shows unsupportive individuals that homophobia, heterosexism, and hostility will not be tolerated.

• Participate in Safe Zone

Speaker’s Bureau

Presented by Pride

Pride (a GLBT student support group) offers speaker panels as an educational service to the campus community. A panel is a group of two or more Pride members who have been trained and speak about GLBT issues in front of groups, such as classes, teams, programs, or other groups.

Speakers can present on a variety of topics, and/or they can answer any questions the audience might have. If you would like to have a panel visit your residence hall floor, classroom, team, or other group, contact the Pride Speaker's Bureau at (309) 438-2429 or e-mail Pride.

Please let us know the date, time, and location for the requested panel. You can also specify any topics or other information you would like us to present, or you can request a Q & A panel custom-made for your own specifications. We do ask that you use all of your available resources to advertise the panel to your students.

Social Justice Institute – The Power of One

The Power of One: Awareness, Change, Responsibility Social Justice Institute is a free one day conference for students hosted by Diversity Advocacy. This one day event will provide students with an opportunity to explore the identities that make up who they are and help them gain a better understanding of how these identities impact everything they do. Through facilitated activities, exercises, and small group dialogue, participants will engage in conversations that will challenge and support them in their journey toward understanding how they can individually impact our global community. 

Diversity Retreat

Each fall, Diversity Advocacy coordinates an overnight retreat targeting students from diverse backgrounds. The retreat engages these students in critical discussions and team-building activities. The goals of the retreat are to expand students’ understanding of diversity and to increase multi-cultural awareness.

Students are led through guided activities, discussion, and reflection on topics such as sexual orientation, race, gender identity, and the concept of privilege. Students learn how to appreciate, celebrate, and participate in the many cultures present at Illinois State University.