Equiss Agenda

Day 1: Who are we?

The first day of Equiss is designed to help participants explore their personal identities and share them with the group in order to develop a sense of self and group purpose. Activities during Day 1 include topics such as:

• Team synergy through drumming
• Personal identity exploration
• Personal identity sharing

Day 2 Morning: What are social justice issues?

During the morning of the second day of Equiss, participants are challenged through a variety of activities, to understand and analyze systems of oppression. This learning will occur through simulations, discussion, strategic planning, teambuilding, and the P2O: Power, Privilege, and Oppression activity for participants to personally evaluate how systems of oppression and privilege have impacted their lives. Activities during the morning of Day 2 include:

• Privilege and oppression
• Gender
• Effects of systems of privilege and oppression

Day 2 Evening: How can we celebrate our identities?

After a morning of intensive experiences and discussions on privilege and oppression, the retreat shifts to focus on empowerment and celebration of others. Much of the focus of this aspect of the retreat will be in identity groups. Activities for this evening include:

• Citizenship and empowerment
• Identity celebration

Day 3 Morning: How can we take action on a larger level?

The morning of Day 3 focuses on how to not only break down systems of oppression, but how to rebuild systems in a more fair and equitable way. Participants will be challenged to view the world in a different, more hopeful manner by envisioning strategies for positive change. Activities for this include:

• Re-envisioning disability through universal design
• Being an ally for the GLBT community
• Breaking down and building up systems and structures

Day 3 Evening: How can we take action individually?

The last part of the retreat is designed for participants to be able to understand how their own actions perpetuate or confront social injustice and ways to implement socially just behavior into everyday actions. Participants will engage in the following activities:

• Ethical scenarios
• Personal action planning
• Commitment statements