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What is this all about? You are warmly invited to join the Office of Equity and Inclusion on an exciting design thinking adventure! Using Susie Wise’s book, Design for Belonging, as a guide, we will explore how a sense of belonging is nurtured in our workplaces through our physical spaces, rituals and events, communications, and more. We will then introduce Stanford d.school’s design thinking model to apply what we’ve learned to real-life opportunities to actively address issues of belonging that exist in our own workspaces.

Who is this for? Are you a Bates staff or faculty member? If so, this opportunity is for YOU! Design thinking is about looking beyond our own perspectives and experiences, so the more diverse our group of thought adventurers, the better. No prior experience with the design thinking process? Perfect! This opportunity is especially for you. After all, that’s what learning opportunities are for – embracing the unfamiliar! 

When will we meet?

Session Dates (repeat sessions will be offered on each date in an effort to accommodate as many participants as possible):

Thurs., 01/09: Session 1 (1 hr) – Charting our Course: Text pick-up & orientation
Thurs., 01/30: Session 2 (1 hr) – Packing the Necessities: Text-based conversations  
Thurs., 02/13: Session 3 (90 mins) – Launching the Adventure: Design Thinking Phases 1&2 – Empathize & Define the Problem
Thurs., 02/27: Session 4 (90 mins) – Navigating Twists & Turns: Design Thinking Phase 3 – Ideate  
Thurs., 03/13: Session 5 (90 mins) – Back on Course: Design Thinking Phase 4 – Prototype
Thurs., 03/27: Session 6 (90 mins) – Land Ho!: Design Thinking Phase 5 – Test
Thurs., 04/03: Session 7 (90 mins) – Exploring the Destination: Group Share-Out & Debrief 

How do I sign up?

This workshop series is designed to be collaborative, action-oriented, and relevant to the work that you do here at Bates, regardless of your role, so participants are highly encouraged to register in teams of three (3) (for example, colleagues in your own department or those who might share a similar role across departments). Want to participate but don’t have a team? No problem! Simply register as an individual, and we will make sure that you are placed in a group of fellow adventurers at the first meeting.

• NOTE: If registering as a team, only ONE (1) person should complete the registration form. Teams of three are ideal, but that number can absolutely be flexible.
• DEADLINE TO REGISTER: Friday, December 20th (end of day)