2018 SLI Interfaith Youth Core's BRIDGE Building: Engaging Religious, Spiritual, and Secular Identity workshop

1. BRIDGE Building: Engaging Religious,
Spiritual, and Secular Identity
Brian Anderson
Bonner Summer Leadership Institute 2018

2. Defining Worldview
A guiding life philosophy, which may be based on a particular
religious tradition, spiritual orientation, non-religious
perspective, or some combination of these. The foundational
outlook you have on life that helps you make sense of the
world around you
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3. Establishing Community Agreements
Dialogue not debate
Use “I Statements”
Show respect
Others?
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4. Concentric Circles Conversation
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5. Concentric Circles Conversation: Question 1
When do you feel most part of a
community?
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6. Concentric Circles Conversation: Question 2
How does your worldview inform
how you understand other parts
of your identity?
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7. Concentric Circles Conversation: Question 3
Who is one leader from another
worldview that you admire? What
do you admire about them?
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8. Concentric Circles Conversation: Question 4
What’s one thing you wish other
people knew about your
worldview?
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9. Concentric Circles Conversation: Reflection
What is something you learned about another worldview?
What is something you found inspiring from another worldview?
What is something you found surprising, or challenging?
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10. Debrief

11. There is a gap between the aspiration to engage
religious diversity and action to do so.
58% of the Campus Interfaith Inventory* participating
campuses have interfaith cooperation named as an
institutional priority
But only 34% consistently address religion in all diversity policies
And only 21% offer religious diversity training at least as
frequently as other diversity trainings
And only 5-7% offer annual religious diversity training for
students, staff, faculty
*Campus Interfaith Inventory; https://www.ifyc.org/inventory; report linked here

12. Why religious diversity training matters
IDEALS* research shows that most first year students have
heard insensitive comments about their worldview:
78% from peers
45% from faculty
37% from staff/administrators
A range of people and departments across campus will be in a
position to support students as they make meaning of these
experiences.
*Interfaith Diversity Experiences & Attitudes Longitudinal Survey; https://www.ifyc.org/ideals; report linked here

13. Conversation
How did your experience in the Concentric Circles
Conversation prompt your thinking about building capacity to
engage religious diversity in your campus community?
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14. BRIDGE Curriculum (ifyc.org/bridge)
Modeled after Safezone
Modular – designed to be customized by educators on campus
Tools – Facilitator’s Guide, curricular overviews, activity sheets
– all available online
Campus examples:
California Lutheran University – targeted training series, expanding
each BRIDGE module to a full training experience
Doane University – broad-scale training for multiple audiences
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15. Questions
Contact us:
Brian Anderson - Brian@ifyc.org
Student Leadership Manager
Mary Ellen Giess - Maryellen@ifyc.org
Sr. Director of Co-Curricular Partnerships
Ben Correia-Harker – Ben@ifyc.org
Director of Assessment & Research
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