Trainings
Allyship First™ is a critical for any meaningful efforts toward equity and justice as allies maintain positions of privilege and power, in organizations and in wider society. Enacting meaningful change toward thoughtful and committed allyship can positively impact organizations in a number of ways, not only creating an environment that invites greater diversity and inclusion and employee engagement but also fostering positive images that can increase brand loyalty and achieve broader corporate social responsibility goals.
Trainings through the Center for Allyship focus on introducing organizations and organization members to allyship, and providing tips, tools, and guidance for cultivating allyship at individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels. General trainings, which provide an introduction to allyship, should be completed prior to specific trainings, which delve into specific areas for allyship. While we know that forms of marginalization and oppression often intersect, specific trainings isolate identity categories and foci that are critical for better understanding and grappling with these intersections within existing systems of power.
General Trainings
Allyship 101
This training introduces participants to the basics of allyship and articulates the importance of allyship within wider equity and justice initiatives, in organizations and in wider society. Providing a broad overview of allyship, here participants are introduced to key terms and concepts as well as to the business case for allyship. Allyship 101 should be completed before moving on to more focused trainings.
Becoming an Ally
This training introduces participants the practice of allyship, in organizations and in wider society. Drawing on what they have learned in Allyship 101, participants are provided with baseline tips and tools for recognizing opportunities for allyship, as well as enacting allyship, at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels. Becoming an Ally should be completed before moving on to more focused trainings.
Allyship First™ Certificate
This one-day certificate program combines the Allyship 101 and Becoming an Ally trainings to introduce participants to the basics of allyship, the importance of allyship, and the practice of allyship, in organizations and in wider society.
Upon completion of general trainings, participants will be able to:
- Understand allyship as a general practice while also being able to identify specific forms of allyship in the workplace;
- Articulate the business case for allyship;
- Recognize opportunities for allyship at the levels of individual, interpersonal, and organizational policy and practice;
- Adapt language and communication practices to foster meaningful allyship;
- Critically assess allyship needs and goals to develop an action plan that results in meaningful change.
Specific Trainings
Specific Focus in Allyship: White Allyship
White allies are critical in movements for racial justice. This training focuses specifically on how members of this identity category can enact allyship practices to change, rather than recreate, systems of oppression. . Drawing on what they have learned in Allyship 101, participants are provided with baseline tips and tools for understanding and enacting meaningful white allyship practices at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels.
Specific Focus in Allyship: Cis Allyship
Cis allies are critical in movements for LGBTQ+ justice. This training focuses specifically on how members of this identity category can enact allyship practices to change, rather than recreate, systems of oppression. Drawing on what they have learned in Allyship 101, participants are provided with baseline tips and tools for understanding and enacting meaningful cis allyship practices at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels.
Specific Focus in Allyship: Nondisabled Allyship
Non-disabled allies are critical in movements for justice for people living with disabilities. This training focuses specifically on how members of this identity category can enact allyship practices to change, rather than recreate, systems of oppression. Drawing on what they have learned in Allyship 101, participants are provided with baseline tips and tools for understanding and enacting meaningful non-abelist allyship practices at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels.
Understanding and Avoiding Casual Xenophobia
This training explains the ways in which casual forms of xenophobia are manifest in language, systems, and practices in daily life. Drawing on what they have learned in Allyship 101, participants are provided with baseline tips and tools for first noticing, then working to change, these casual forms of xenophobia as part of allyship practice.
Understanding and Avoiding Casual Misogyny
This training explains the ways in which casual forms of misogyny are manifest in language, systems, and practices in daily life. Drawing on what they have learned in Allyship 101, participants are provided with baseline tips and tools for first noticing, then working to change, these casual forms of misogyny as part of allyship practice.
Upon completion of general trainings, participants will be able to:
- Recognize how to apply general allyship principles to specific allyship foci;
- Articulate the business case for specific allyship foci;
- Recognize opportunities for specific foci for allyship at the levels of individual, interpersonal, and organizational policy and practice;
- Adapt language and communication practices to foster meaningful allyship;
- Critically assess allyship goals to develop an action plan that results in meaningful change.