Understanding Diversity in Community
10-hour Pre-Recorded Course
Learn how to foster inclusive communities that are welcoming of people across identities of race, LGBTQ+, gender, and disability.
Course fee: $79-$129 USD
On this page:
Understanding Diversity in Community
Course description and syllabus
Everyone deserves access to safe communities, and often people with marginalized identities are inadvertently harmed in our communities. In the Understanding Diversity in Community course we will explore the various dimensions of diversity, including race, age, class, gender, sexuality and disability. You’ll learn about the unique challenges and experiences of each identity as well as the way that these forms of diversity intersect and overlap.
Throughout the course, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with your fellow students and share your own experiences and perspectives on these topics. By the end of the course, you’ll have a greater understanding and appreciation of the diversity that exists within our world as well as the importance of promoting inclusion and equity for all.
Classes and topics in the Understanding Diversity in Community syllabus include:
1st Class: Race and Ethnicity
- introduction and ground rules
- resources to dive deeper
- common biases and microaggressions
- stages of response
2nd Class: White Supremacy
- white supremacy culture in intentional communities
- cultural appropriation
3rd Class: Gender and Sexuality
- gender and sexual identities
- the triangle of consent
4th Class: Disability and Age
- ten principles of disability justice
- neurodivergence in community
5th Class: Socioeconomic Status and Closing
- socioeconomic status
- intersectionality
- wrap up and reflections
Your instructor
Crystal Byrd Farmer
Crystal Byrd Farmer is an organizer and consultant in the intentional communities movement. She serves as Co-Director for the Foundation for Intentional Community and is on the Editorial Review Board of Communities Magazine published by the Global Ecovillage Network-United States. She also serves as Co-President for the BIPOC Intentional Community Council. In 2020 she published The Token: Common Sense Ideas for Increasing Diversity in Your Organization. Crystal is passionate about encouraging people to change their perspectives on diversity, relationships, and the world.
Learn more about Crystal and her work here.
Testimonials
“This course was a great way to connect with others and feel less isolated in my experiences. It also offered insights into identities I don’t inhabit that will help me understand others more and be a better ally.”
-Fatima Hirsi
“I’m strongly encouraging other people in our community to attend [Understanding Diversity in Community]. The class was so well organized and I appreciated the variety of topics covered from BIPOC to disabilities-related issues. Crystal packs a lot of material into a short time, offering practical suggestions that we can put in practice in our mainly white community. I found the resources and homework to be really useful and insightful. I feel that I gained a much deeper understanding of how white supremacy lives in me and how I can grow and evolved in my relationships with non-majority-culture people.”
-Sara Bruya
“Participating in this course was the most important thing I’ve done this year. Crystal’s presentation was organized, moving and real. We covered how to prepare our community and ourselves for relating with and creating safety for members of multiple abilities, races, identities, ages and ethnicities; mistakes to avoid and tools for conflict resolution. The additional resources will be my ongoing project.”
-Kathleen Biernat
“Really valuable space to talk about topics that we sometimes avoid or are not sure how to talk about! Emphasis on ICs makes it particularly relevant. The discussion about ‘self-appointed white ally’ and allyship vs accomplice moved my understanding forward; appreciated and was challenged by some of the discussions around disability, in particular about mental health. LOVED the resources (articles and videos).”
-Karen Cowgill
The elements of an online course
Online learning platform
Once you register, you’ll get access to our learning area that includes:
- 5 class recordings (~10 hours of video content)
- downloadable class audio and transcripts for learning on the go
- class slides and other course resources
- discount on complementary books to deepen your learning
Go at your own pace
Learn at your own pace with a course that fits your schedule. You’ll have a full 90 days from registration to move through the learning material. One section at a time, when and where it works for you.
Registration
Understanding Diversity in Community
Starting From $79.00
Price is per person
Learn how to foster inclusive communities that are welcoming of people across identities of race, LGBTQ+, gender, and disability in this 10-hour pre-recorded course. Learn more here.
Please keep an eye on your inbox and spam/junk folder for a confirmation email from orders@ic.org. You will have 90 days from the date of purchase to view the class recordings.
You might also be interested in
- Navigating Conflict and Restoring Connection (Inside Community Podcast episode with Alyson Ewald)
- Becoming a Communitarian (10-hour pre-recorded course)
