About Consciousness Rising
The Central focus of Consciousness Rising is how the small, everyday actions of students/the UD community play a role in the world at large -- Whether we're aiding and abetting social injustices, or ignoring them, or just honestly aware that they are not there, we're losing opportunities to create the world the Marianist seek. The vision is that in a few years, hundreds of Flyers will be coming together for one day to make a big difference through interactive learning and collaboration with the city of Dayton.
We invite all of you to come explore our three tracks and let your mind be open to everything you will discover. Please browse through the tracks on this website to learn more about what these issues are, the effects they cause, and how you can make a difference. Learning more about these issues is the first step to help fixing them.
-The Consciousness Rising Team
The Three Tracks
1. Human Trafficking
2. The Achievement Gap
3. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
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Human Trafficking, Over sexualization of Culture and Gender
Why you should pick this track:
This track will educate you on what modern slavery is, why it happens, and how it happens. You will learn about the strong connection of how our over sexualized culture effects the demand side of sex slavery in the United States.
Over 30 million people are enslaved today (Not For Sale). That is more than ever before in our history. It is apparent that there is a cultural demand for sex slavery.By simply leafing through magazines and watching movies, one can notice the impact the media has on American culture, and more importantly sex slavery and forced prostitution. There is a slippery slope that exists between an individual’s actions and the perpetuation of forced prostitution. Simple actions and decisions have leverage in the sex industry, meaning small individual decisions can snowball easily, leaving a large (negative or positive) impact on the sex industry. Take a trip through the Sex Slavery. A Photographic Journey exhibit to learn more about the gender roles placed on men and women, and then take a step down to the Cultural Demand. The Slippery Slope to Social Sedation exhibit to discover what leads individuals to knowingly and unknowingly support forced prostitution.
Next, step into the Walking Away. More than a step. exhibit. Learn the difficulities of getting out of sex slavery once brought in. It is not as easy to escape as it seems.
Once you have seen the above exhibits, it is time to take a look into the lives of slaves in the Forced Labor, Human Cargo, and the Cost of Life. A Look into the Lives of Slaves exhibit. Learn how girls are coerced into slavery and the twisted psychology behind some parents’ decisions to sell their children into the industry. Monologues will be performed portraying characters involved in sex slavery, to better grasp their mentality.
At the end of the entire track there will be an opportunity to write letters of support to former slavery victims. These words of encouragement will be sent to the girls to remind them that the worst is behind them and they now have a bright future to look forward to.
Learn more about:
Sex Slavery.
Cultural Demand in the US
The Law. Decisions and their consequences.
Forced Labor, Human Cargo, & the Cost of Life.
Great for students studying:
International Studies
Criminal Justice
Human Rights
Journalism
Political Science
Photography
Pre-Law
Sociology
Women & Gender Studies
Pre-Med
For More Information
Education and The Achievement Gap
Why you should pick this track:
Education used to have the capability of lifting less advantaged children out of poverty and improving their chances for success, but with the ever widening achievement gap the chances for successes are dwindling. The achievement gap refers to the disparity in academic performance between groups of students based upon race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other diversity factors. This track will challenge you to think about how racism is rooted in the achievement gap.
The first exhibit you will wander through, entitled The Perception of Urban and Suburban Schools, seeks to disable the stereotypes of Urban and Suburban schools. Mock lessons will be held to conceptualize the view point of an urban and suburban student. Often, the perception of how an urban school functions is incongruent with the reality, and same goes for Suburban schools. Learn about these schools’ strengths and also the issues they are suffering to help break down perceived stereotypes.
Learn more about English Language Learner (ELL) in the English Language Learners exhibit, and sense the struggles they face trying to advance in school. Follow a story of a young Mexican girl and her educational journey from kindergarten to third grade. Track her progress and the progress of her classmates to see how far behind she will be.
After being confronted with these situations and problems, learn what the harsh reality a poor education brings about. Walk into the Harsh Realities exhibit in the shoes of a prisoner. PAGES tutors, who tutor inmates at the local prison, will recount real anecdotes of their mentees and how they ended up in prison. Then partake in an educational lesson that would normally be taught to the prisoner such as fractions and reading. You will have the chance to get involved with PAGES and other community outreach programs such as St. Vincent de Paul and Daybreak once you have completed the track.
At the end of this track, be able to mingle with Dayton public school children as they present homemade pictures depicting what school means to them in the My Education exhibit.
Learn more about:
Closing the Achievement Gap
Develop Socio-cultural Awareness in a Diverse Setting
Responsibility to Provide all Students with an Adequate Education
Great for students studying:
Education
Sociology
Psychology
Foreign Language Education
Fair Trade and Corporate Responsibility
Why you should pick this track:
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a way of regulating ethical standards into a business model. There are currently millions of people enslaved around the world today as forced laborers earning little to no pay. This track will teach about the cultural and business norms that are involved in forced labor by further examining the business supply chain.
Start off this track by visiting the Day in the Life exhibit. A typical day for a UD student involves waking up at a reasonable time (10 am), eating a light breakfast, walking to class, participating in after school organizations and activities, hanging out with friends, and then going back home to repeat again. But what is life like for a forced laborer? Learn and compare what these slaves endure daily to your UD experience. This exhibit is created to spur empowered ideas and not feelings of guilt.
Then get your sweet tooth excited as you wander over to The Chocolate Supply Chain exhibit. In this exhibit, you will walk through a stereotypical chocolate factory, to the field where slaves pick the cocoa beans, and end up in the house of a broken family. This exhibit is ment to teach about how a family gets stuck in slavery.
Lastly, visit the Business Abolitionist exhibit to promote good business practices and just supply chains. Do this by partaking in snowflake making, like UNICEF’s crystal snowflake that symbolizes a beacon of hope for children and a daily reminder of UNICEF’s commitment to create a world where zero children die from preventable causes. These snowflakes will symbolize your promises to support ethical business practices.
Be able to put what you learned into practice by visiting the Fair Trade Sale. There will be multiple vendors selling fair trades items from chocolate and coffee to artwork and jewelry. Remember to bring some money to support fair trade!
Learn more about:
Power as Future Business Leaders
Economics and the Supply Chain
Power as Consumers
Fair Trade
Great for students studying:
Business Economics
Finance
International Business
Entrepreneurship
Leadership
Marketing
Operations & Supply Management
Engineering
Speakers
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Nicholas KristofCo-sponsored by the University of Dayton Speaker Series MARCH 9, 2013 Nicholas Kristof is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times' columnist and co-author ofHalf the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. A book signing will follow his talk. |
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Dr. Eduardo Bonilla-SilvaProfessor of Sociology at Duke University, is the 2011 recipient of the Cox-Johnson-Frazier Award. MARCH 7, 2013 Author of Racism Without Racists |
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Dr. Jeff MilemJeffrey F. Milem is the Ernest W. McFarland Distinguished Professor in Leadership for Education Policy and Reform in the College of Education at the University of Arizona. He is a Professor in the Center for the Study of Higher Education and Director of the Arizona Medical Education Research Institute (AMERI). Previously, he served as Department Head for the Department of Educational Policy Studies & Practice as well as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College. (University of Arizona). MARCH 8, 2013 |
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Kilian MooteKilian has been involved with Not For Sale since its inception in 2007. Before joining Not For Sale, Kilian worked with the Mayor’s Office in San Francisco and The European Commission Delegation in Washington, D.C. Since 2009, Kilian has been the lead voice and vision of Free2Work, Not For Sale’s risk assessment tool, which has informed over 500 brands on how they can reduce the risks to human trafficking in their supply chains. MARCH 9, 2013 |
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Lori L. WardLori Ward is the Superintendent for Dayton public schools.Ward is committed to making Dayton Public Schools a place where every student is challenged and supported. She received her master’s in computers in education from the University of Dayton. MARCH 9, 2013 |
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Theresa FloresTheresa Flores is a former victim of human trafficking, and is the author of two books, “The Sacred Bath” and "The Slave Across the Street". She received her Master's in Counseling Education from University of Dayton and a Bachelor’s of Social Work from Ball State University. Ms. Flores has been a licensed Social Worker for over twenty years. Recently, she was recognized by current Ohio Governor Kaisch and received the COURAGE Award for her work in Human Trafficking. (traffickfree.com) MARCH 9, 2013 |
Calendar
RSVP for Consciousness Rising
Date:
March 7th - Providing the Framework -- Sociology Department
7:30pm - 9:30pm: Presentation by Dr. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
March 8th - Making Diversity Climate Change at UD -- Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs
Noon - 1:30pm: Campus Climate presentation by Dr. Jeff Milem (VWK Main)
3pm - 6pm: Dialogue for Diversity (VWK Main) 6pm: Resource Fair, Highlighting campus organizations for diversity (VWK Main) **Dinner Provided**
8pm - 11pm: Free Social Justice Concert (RecPlex) Co-Sponsored by: CAB
March 9th - Global Awareness and Action
1pm – 5pm: Keynote speaker, Nicholas Kristoff, Interactive Student Exhibits, and Rotating Speakers (River Campus)