I believe one important part of being a leader is educating ourselves and becoming a resource for others. As leaders on campus, we are especially lucky that there are plenty of resources to help educate us on important issues so that we can become resources to others.
Three trainings in particular that I am aware of on campus are Emerge, Safe Zone, and Mason Cares. Mason Cares only takes 2 hours, while Emerge and Safe Zone are a more intense one full-day training.
Mason CARES (Campus Awareness, Referral and Education for Suicide Prevention) training is put on by Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). It trains students in resources available for students on campus who may be depressed or thinking about suicide. With depression and suicides on the rise at college campuses, it’s important that as campus leaders we are knowledgable about resources available to help others (or ourselves!)
There are two Mason CARES trainings coming up, on Tuesday, March 19th and Tuesday, April 30th from 5-7 PM, and you can register or learn more about them here: http://caps.gmu.edu/psychologicalservices/masoncares.php
Safe Zone training was created by LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*, Queer/Questioning) Resources in order to create safer, more inclusive, and more welcoming spaces for LGBTQ people on campus. In the training, you will learn more about the LGBTQ community and ways you can help create the campus a better place for them to live. In addition, you will learn about resources available for LGBTQ people and how you can help someone suffering from discrimination due to their identity.
There are several Safe Zone trainings available, on Sunday, March 3, Thursday, March 28, Friday, April 19, and Monday, April 29.
To learn more, or to sign up, visit here: http://lgbtq.gmu.edu/safezone/
Finally, there is Emerge. Emerge is run by WAVES (Wellness, Alcohol and Violence Education and Services), and hopes to teach its participants about how to respond to victims of sexual and relationship violence on campus. It deals with educating participants about sexual and relationship violence and common myths and misconceptions, then how to respond and provide resources for those who may have been affected.
There are currently two dates for Emerge trainings, on Wednesday, March 13th, and Thursday, May 2nd.
To learn more, or to register, go to this site: http://sas.gmu.edu/emerge/
So what do you think? Do you believe (as I do) that as leaders, we need to educate ourselves on such issues? Will you be attending any of these trainings soon? Do you know of any others that we should be aware of? Leave a comment!
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February 24th, 2013 at 6:51 pm
I think it’s awesome that these services in wellness and awareness are available on campus. Going through life, I’ve come to know that it’s necessary to learn social and personal aspects, not just the academia in text books. I feel that this important aspect is not addressed very well in prior to secondary education, and I’m glad that GMU places value on getting information to a lot of people who have been missing out!
February 26th, 2013 at 4:20 pm
I totally agree! Mason provides so many different resources that are available to students for free and many people are either unaware of these resources or do not take the opportunity to seize the moment. I think as leaders we both should use the resources in addition to allowing others to become aware of these resources as well.