Diversirty Talks

The central question my workshops wrestle with is how we live a life based on values of inclusion. I use a theoretical framework to lay a foundation on how to talk about issues of diversity and social justice, then move on to practical applications.

Through interactive exercises, and with a little dose of humor, I offer opportunities to try new things, mess up, challenge yourself, and practice giving yourself and others a little bit of grace to go through the process.

Each workshop and training comes with time for reflection, small group shares, and large group discussions.

VICTOR SANTANA-MELGOZA, M.A., CNP is a professional educator, public speaker, and private consultant based in Phoenix, AZ. He maintains an active speaking schedule as an award-winning diversity trainer and lecturer with his business, Diversity Talks, and has worked with organizations around the country, including The Social Justice Training Institute, The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), and Salem-Keizer (OR) Public Schools. He has also spoken in front of national audiences such as the U.S. Army Sergeant Majors’ Academy and the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE).

Victor also holds teaching positions at Arizona State University and Phoenix College, and has research interests in interpersonal communication, interracial attraction, intergroup dialogue, training and development, concepts surrounding the intersectionality of race/ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, and small group communication. Victor teaches courses in Interpersonal Communication, Relational Communication, Gender and Communication, Public Speaking, and Leadership of Social Change. Victor has also been a featured writer for "The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education" magazine, as well as provides consulting services to local and regional nonprofits in the areas of media relations, cultural competency, and donor development.

Victor earned his B.A. and M.A. from The University of Texas at El Paso with concentrations in organizational and corporate communication, and communication studies, and became a certified mediator through The Center for Conflict Studies at UTEP. He is nationally certified in nonprofit leadership and management, and holds a graduate certificate in gender and women’s studies. Victor furthered his research and education in interpersonal communication while studying in the Ph.D. program of the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at ASU.

His preferred gender pronouns are: he/him/his/they/them/theirs.

Materials
Diversity Talks makes use of various modalities to facilitate full participation and meet different learning styles. As such, there are materials that are needed and used to realize this commitment. Diversity Talks will work with your organization in developing a list of needed materials for the Client in advance of the training to be able to anticipate budget and logistical needs.

• Texts: In preparation for both the division-wide training and the facilitator training, Diversity Talks may make use of readings to prepare participants and deepen conversations. Readings usually are presented in digital format, but, in some cases, we use entire books and/or textbooks. It is the expectation that the Client will work the cost of such material within the budget of the agreement, and will be responsible for all ordering and disbursement.


• Handouts: Diversity Talks is committed to using sustainable practices to minimize waste and be mindful of the impact we have on our environment. We make every attempt to use digital formats for material that needs to be mass distributed, but there are some handouts we find useful to use and interact with. In these cases, the Client will be responsible for copying, binding, and distributed all printed copies.

• Resources: Diversity Talks encourages the free exchange of unlicensed resources to continue the conversation and action to create inclusive environments for all communities. Diversity Talks will be happy to provide a list of articles, documentaries, activities, and processes that we use, and find helpful, to provide your staff.

• General Supplies: As Diversity Talks makes use of multiple modalities of training, general supplies, such as pencils/pens, paper, both White and colored, staplers, hole punchers, sticky notes, sticky-poster sheets, and markers will need to be made available, and worked into the budget of the agreement.

• Audio/Visual Technology: Diversity Talks makes use of a variety of methods to get participants engaged in their own process. Lectures are usually done via standard PowerPoint, but also may, occasionally, use websites, videos, and even video conferencing. It is helpful to have all of these resources available in the space the training is happening. Diversity Talks will provide a list of all audio-visual needs at least two weeks in advance in order to be able to accommodate the needs of the training. As these trainings will be done with a large audience, both a lavalier and at least three standard handheld microphones will be necessary to accommodate participant audibility.

Bonus Materials

• Recording Equipment: As you have seen from the website, it is helpful for potential clients to see real-life trainings and facilitations conduced with real audiences, with real clients. Diversity Talks kindly requests, but does not require, that the large-scale lectures and activities conducted throughout the day be video recorded. There is no need for an additional expense for expensive recording equipment, somebody’s smart phone will serve just fine.


Assessment
Diversity Talks is prepared to conduct a pre- and post- assessment on specific learning outcomes that the workshop has as part of curriculum, or integrate other skills/knowledge that your organization may want to assessed, along with using standard intercultural competency instruments, Diversity Talks will administer the assessment instrument, collect the data, and write a concise report of findings.

Contractor Responsibilities
As the trainer, Diversity Talks is responsible for creating all curriculum, lectures, and activities for both the day-long generalized training, and facilitator training workshops.

• Diversity Talks will also take the lead in working with your organization to ensure any special orders (supplies, texts, copies, etc.) are handled with enough time, as to be ready by the time each workshop commences. 


• Diversity Talks will also work with the Client in determining an appropriate method and instrument of assessing the success of the trainings, and, if needed and desired, will generate reports based off that assessment.