Northern Michigan University's UNITED Conference will feature workshops and presentations that revolve around a “Continue the Conversation" theme as it relates to the intersection of well-being and diversity, equity and inclusion. The main conference runs from 8:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 21, in the Northern Center. Keynote speakers are: Patrick Yankee from Corktown Health, on affirmative healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community; and Stefanie Foo, author of What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma, this year's selection for NMU's Diversity Common Reader Program. All events are free and open to the public.
Shawnrece Campbell, NMU's new assistant vice president for Diversity and Inclusion, will deliver opening remarks at 8:45 a.m. She will also present an interactive Writing and Wellbeing workshop at 11 a.m., guiding participants to explore, define and refine their internal experiences through journaling exercises. Remaining sessions follow. Find full descriptions with presenter information at nmu.edu/united.
9-9:50 a.m.: Mental Illness and Trauma in Teens' Lives: What We Can Learn from Young Adult Literature; an NMU CARE Team panel discussion on identifying, assessing and responding to concerns about students who are struggling; and Social and Emotional Learning In and Out of the Classroom.
10-10:50 a.m.: Motivational Interviewing techniques to promote equity and inclusion; Extending Observation: Practices of Looking, on centering students; and Mindful Movement.
11-11:50 a.m.: Writing and Wellbeing workshop; an overview of NMU's International Faculty Mentoring Program; cooking demonstration of a “Three Sisters and One Cousin” bowl; a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) panel representing law enforcement, EMS, fire, dispatch and mental health providers; and Extending Observation: Practices of Looking, which will be held in the DeVos Art Museum.
Noon: Keynote presentation by Patrick Yankee from Corktown Health titled “LGBTQ Health Services in Michigan: Past, Present and Future.”
1-1:50 p.m.: Revolutionary Love: Engaging in Anti-Oppressive Teaching Practices; Mindfulness and Burnout; Internationalizing Your Classroom panel of NMU faculty; and Mindful Movement.
2 p.m.: Afternoon pick-me-up with free sample cups of Smoothie King's “Be Well Blends.”
2-2:50 p.m. Motivational Interviewing techniques; Nutrition for Athlete Wellbeing; Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) panel; and Social and Emotional Learning In and Out of the Classroom.
3-3:50 p.m.: Extended Adolescence, COVID and Mental Health: The Perfect Storm?; cooking demonstration of a “Three Sisters and One Cousin” bowl; Diversity in Disability student organization panel discussion of navigating academia and life with disabilities; and a participation workshop on Asahi, a Nordic health practice of gentle movements synchronized with slow breathing.
4-4:50 p.m.: Fifty Years Apart, which compares two documentary shorts shot in the same community a half century apart; Complex PTSD Conversations; Equity in Grading Practices; and the top three student finalists from the Communications and Media Studies Department's "The Speech” contest will present five- to seven-minute persuasive speeches that evaluate different perspectives on how to solve a particular problem. The preliminary competition to determine the finalists will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, in the Panowski Black Box Theare; an audience is welcome.
5:30-6:45 p.m.: Poetry Without Borders. Students, faculty, staff and community members will present poetry in other languages, with English translations provided.
7-8 p.m.: Keynote with Stefanie Foo, the author of What My Bones Know: A Memoir Of Healing From Complex Trauma. She will speak about her personal experiences as well as her thoughts about the science and psychology of complex PTSD.