The Center for KickGlass Change will offer its first co-curricular skills credential later this semester for Farmer School of Business students to help them continue to develop their cultural intelligence.

KickGlass Dialogues Across Difference is a six-week workshop facilitated by the Miami University Center for American and World Cultures. Students will learn how to have dialogue about gender and race, learn how to listen, and, hopefully, develop empathy for members of perceived “out-groups.”

The intergroup dialogue (IGD) program is designed specifically for Farmer School of Business students and is intended to support each student's personal development and professional readiness while advancing inclusive excellence on Miami’s campuses. It is designed to engage peer cohorts of students in intergroup dialogues theory and practice so that, through semi-structured and facilitated dialogue through the four IGD stages, participants can speak more honestly and seriously, seek understanding, and explore challenging issues without devolving into debate. 

Program participants continue in a dialogue cohort meeting regularly over seven weekly meetings, building trust, respect, and accountability. In the process, participants explore their own cultural values, biases, assumptions, and their impacts on others, while cultivating cognitive empathy, honing skills in intercultural communication and collaboration, and building confidence to lead others in doing likewise.

Students who have completed this immersive experience report positive changes in communicating with people from other groups, confidence levels of taking self- and other-directed actions, confidence levels of intergroup collaboration, anticipated post-college involvement in redressing inequalities, involvement in social justice activities at Miami, and skills in dealing with conflict.

Participants will earn verified skills credentials at no cost through the Farmer School of Business' newly-established Center for KickGlass Change.  These will be issued digitally from Badgr and can be added to LinkedIN profiles, social media, and résumés.

In previous semesters, students in the KickGlass Marketing for Change senior capstone have completed the program as part of the class. “The best way I can describe KickGlass Dialogues Across Difference is that it is the most valuable course I’ve taken at Miami, no question. I know I’ll take what I’ve learned about dialogue, understanding others, and cultural intelligence to not only my future career, but into my life and relationships,” senior Brenna Kernan said.

“It gave me skills to communicate across different cultures and gave me a unique learning opportunity I don't think I would have experienced otherwise. I love how the skills and tools developed in the class can be used day-to-day, and have allowed me to make a social impact in small but powerful ways,” senior Alissa Green said. “The program will also apply to my professional career, by giving me the skills to be a better communicator, collaborator, and have a deeper level of empathy in marketing.”

Gillian Oakenfull, Director of the Center for KickGlass Change, said “We’re excited to offer our first-year students this co-curricular opportunity to build on the CQ FOUNDATIONS credential that they complete within the First-Year Integrated Core. KickGlass is committed to providing students with innovative and engaging opportunities to develop their cultural intelligence (CQ) skills and leadership throughout their four-year journey at Miami University. Next semester, KickGlass will add the CQ ACCELERATOR to its co-curricular skills credentials. CQ ACCELERATOR is designed to build off the CQ FOUNDATIONS credential to provide students with a deeper understanding of the role of cultural identity, cultural difference, and cultural agency in the marketplace, the workplace, and society at large.”

This semester’s cohort of the program will begin after Spring Break. Learn more and apply here.