Our CEE was a workshop entitled "Smash Up The Stereotypes." The workshop took place at the Common Ground Teen Center in Washington, PA, and it was open to W&J students and faculty, the teens of the Teen Center as well as of surrounding high schools, community members, community leaders, and anyone interested in learning more about the roots of conflict within the Washington community. Those in attendance included W&J students from the Gay-Straight Alliance, the Black Student Union, and the Hillel Society, the director of the Common Ground, teens of the Common Ground, the president of the Washington Community Gay-Straight Alliance, various members of the 2013 VIH cohort, and several community members who live and work in Washington and/or volunteer with local organizations.
After everyone introduced themselves and stated one change they would like to see in the world and/or Washington community, the attendees were split into groups. Each group was given a poster headed with the name of a group of people (e.g. LGBT, the disabled, college students, people with non-"conventionally attractive" body types, etc.), and then, each group created a list of all of the ways in which the given group of people was stereotyped or prejudiced against in the Washington community (or on a larger scale). The groups presented their posters one by one, and during each presentation, a conversation was started. Various attendees commented on each and every point, discussing events they had witnessed and even personal experiences that attested to how and why these stereotypes are harmful and what can and should be done to eliminate them.
Several participants with disabilities openly discussed how they are perceived by the community around them and why they think that is. From learning to disabilities to anxiety disorders to legal blindness, people had much to say about the daily struggles they face as a result of ignorance and perpetuating stereotypes. These topics also generated conversations about the importance of special education and what professionals in this field can do to raise awareness for and eliminate misconceptions about people with disabilities.
The college students in the room became heavily involved in discussing not only how they are perceived by the community at large, but how they are perceived by each other. When, for example, the topic of affirmative action and race/ethnicity-based scholarships was brought to the table, the students were able to have an educated discussion on the misconceptions many people have about financial help given to people based on their backgrounds. This provided the college students the chance to both educate each other on the harmful effects of these misconceptions as well as give the teens and community members a first-hand look at the conflicts within the college itself.
Other topics of in-depth discussion included LGBT rights and awareness in Washington, body types and expectations for people of all ages, various people's economic situations and how this affects the way in which they are perceived, and many, many others in between.
The two-hour conversation concluded with an open floor for anyone to share their personal reflection on the conversation, and the conversation finally concluded with encouragement for all to go out into their environments - whether high school, college, the workplace, or anywhere else - and share the message that these stereotypes exist, are harmful, and can be eliminated if we actively address them as we encounter them in our everyday lives.