The e-Learning course is based on the work of Dr. Derald Wing Sue, one of the leading experts in the study of microaggressions and a pioneer in the field of multicultural education. Dr. Sue is the author of many books and articles and is a Professor of Psychology and Education in the Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology at Teachers College and the School of Social Work, Columbia University.
“Joel Lesko and SunShower Learning have produced the gold standard of anti-bias training that will have a lasting and beneficial impact in business, industry and education,” says Dr. Sue.
Dr. Sue continues, “If equity, diversity and inclusion are important goals for your organization, community and the nation, then this interactive training video will teach employers and employees concrete skills to confront and disarm microaggressions (bias and bigotry). The training teaches targets, allies and bystanders specific actions that involve making the ‘invisible’ visible, disarming microaggressions, and educating offenders. It is filled with real-life examples of harmful microaggressions, along with tested intervention actions that can be taken to create norms that reinforce an inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environment.”
“You’re so articulate… Where are you really from?… You’re Asian, you must be good in math.” These kinds of comments or questions can sound harmless or even like compliments, but they actually carry a hidden message that hurts. These are microaggressions. Dr. Sue defines them as the everyday slights, invalidations, and offensive behaviors that people of marginalized groups experience in their daily interactions with generally well-intentioned people who are unaware of their impact. Although any one microaggression may appear small, trivial, harmless or insignificant, they are constant and cumulative.”
Maya Angelou likened microaggressions to “death by a thousand cuts.” Research shows that these stressors can affect long-term health and contribute to higher rates of depression and anxiety in people who have been targeted by microaggressions. In the workplace, people who’ve been targeted will often disengage or even start looking for a new job in a more inclusive organization where they feel like they belong.
The Disarming Microaggressions e-Learning course features relatable workplace and personal scenarios to help people get clear about what a microaggression is, learn how to decode the hidden message and begin to practice skills to speak up to disarm microaggressions as they happen or afterwards. This breakthrough course offers Dr. Sue’s latest presentation of microintervention strategies – the comeback, disarming the microaggression and educating the offender.
“The goal of the training is to help people learn how to speak up for respect in a non-shaming and non-blaming way,” says Joel Lesko, SunShower Learning’s President. “If your goal is to create a more inclusive workplace where people feel like they belong, one of the action steps to make that happen is to educate people about the impact they can have, regardless of their good intentions.”
The new e-Learning course emphasizes that everyone is at risk of saying or doing something offensive because we all have biases that are outside of our conscious awareness. So, even well-intentioned people can say something that turns into an unintentional expression of bias.
Disarming Microaggressions wins three 2021 Telly Awards
Disarming Microaggressions is the winner of three 2021 Telly Awards, for Diversity & Inclusion, Corporate Training and Social Impact. The course is accessible on many platforms and includes material to help companies deploy and enhance the learning. The course is SCORM 1.2 compliant and can be installed on most Learning Management Systems. Licensing and pricing is based on a tiered pricing structure that takes into account a company’s size, the LMS and whether the organization is non-profit or for profit.
To test drive the full e-Learning and learn about licensing opportunities and pricing, please visit https://sunshowerlearning.com/microaggressions/ or call 877.772.2111 to speak with Joel Lesko.
SunShower Learning is a leading producer of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion education and training materials. SunShower programs are used by a wide array of leading organizations, including AT&T, UCLA, Yale-New Haven Health, Subaru, and thousands more. SunShower’s work has been recognized with many awards, including the Brandon Hall Bronze Award and dozens of Telly Awards.
SOURCE SunShower Learning
