The Editor’s Note
Hello,
Hopefully you are delighting in the warmer weather April has ushered in this spring. As mentioned last week, this month also brought us a wealth of Awareness around varying topics and issues, some of which are highlighted throughout Rooted in Learning. It is our hope that as we share upcoming events related to these topics, you will not only engage, but spread the word, share the resources and help build more awareness.
As always, we hope each edition brings you an opportunity to learn and grow with us.
Enjoy!
Monday Inspiration
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs
Employee Learning & Engagement Events
FIERCE CONVERSATIONS: ACHIEVING SUCCESS AT WORK AND IN LIVE ONE CONVERSATION AT A TIME
Part 2: Thursday, April 22nd, 1pm – 2:30pm CST
EMPLOYEE LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT PRESENTS: *NEW* VIRTUAL THOUGHT LEADER SERIES
Join the Employee Learning & Engagement team in celebrating Diversity Awareness Month via our new Virtual Thought Leader Speaker Series! The inaugural session hosts Dr. Kevin McDonald, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Partnerships at the University of Virginia.
**NEW SERIES** POD TALKS @ VANDY!
 Join your colleagues and the Employee Learning & Engagement team for our new series, Pod Talks @Vandy! Our next discussion on April 27th from 2-3 pm CST will center around topics from the featured podcast, The Accidental Creative: How to Captivate (with Vanessa Van Edwards). We won’t be presenting –this will be heavily focused on fostering conversations.
To participate, please listen to the designated podcast episode and reserve your seat. Podcasts will rotate, to offer opportunity for community members to engage with different topics, hosts, and ideas.
THE 4 STAGES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
Thursday, April 29th, 1pm – 2:30pm CST
****To register and learn more about upcoming workshops, please visit our website here. You can also view what’s on the horizon and register for future events.****
Campus Partner Opportunities
The Margaret Cuniggim Women’s Center and the Provost Office for Inclusive Excellence Virtual Two-Day Workshop: Write to Change the World
The two-day workshop will explore the source of credibility and how to establish it; how to present ideas quickly and powerfully under pressure; the components of powerful, evidence-based argument; the difference between being “right” and being effective; and strategies for making a greater impact in print, including how to escape a pigeonhole, how to preach beyond the choir, and how to frame an argument as part of a bigger picture—and yourself as part of a larger public conversation. Participants leave with an outline of an op-ed in hand and access to OpEd Project journalist mentors for individual follow-up.
Workshop Dates:
Monday, May 17th, from 10:00 a.m. CT to 1:30 p.m. CST
Tuesday, May 18th, from 10:00a.m. CT to 1:30 p.m. CST
Apply here. NOTE: Only those who can attend the entire two-day workshop will be eligible for a spot.
The application: Friday, April 23rd
Notifications of acceptance: by Monday, May 3rd
Faculty, graduate and professional students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff are all invited to apply.
If you have any questions, please email Brianna Nesbitt, Assistant Director, Women’s Center, at Brianna.nesbitt@vanderbilt.edu
Upcoming ‘Disrupting Everyday Bias’ Sessions
Register for upcoming sessions via Oracle Learning here.
- April 21st: 1pm – 3pm CST; 10pm – 12am (two offerings)
- May 27th: 10am – 12pm CST
- July 26th: 1pm – 3pm CST
Did You Know…?
 Did you know that April is also National Child Abuse Prevention Month? Our colleague Dawn Riddle shared a wealth of resources around this issue that we can all take part in exploring to build more awareness and aid in prevention. In the state of Tennessee everyone is required by state law to report knowledge or suspicions of child abuse or neglect. Please view the list of resources below to learn more:
Also, if you haven’t already, take some time to get familiar with Vanderbilt University’s commitment to youth protection by visiting the Protection of Minors website and sign up the for training in Oracle Learning.
Virtual & Community Events
Cable Presents: “Winning the Game: Women in Sports Leadership” with Vanderbilt’s Candice Storey Lee
Mark your calendar for the 2021 Power of Inclusion (POI) Awards, Wednesday, May 5th, 11:30am – 1pm CST. Candice Storey Lee currently serves as vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director here at Vanderbilt. She makes history as Vanderbilt’s first female athletic director and the first African American woman to lead an SEC athletics program. Learn more about the POI awards and register here.
The Summit: Advancing Inclusion & Diversity in the Workplace
Are you ready to explore the benefits of diversity and inclusion for building campus community as well as the role they play in leadership, recruitment and retention? Then mark your calendars! The Summit will take place on Wednesday, May 19th, 8:30am – 4:00pm CST. To learn more and register for this event, click here.
Project Safe to Offer An Array of Programming for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)
Project Safe will be offering educational programs and resources throughout the month that include an 8-session Empowerment Self-Defense course, campus sexual assault resources and so much more. This year’s SAAM theme is “Creating Safe Online Spaces.” To learn more about upcoming events and register, please visit their website.
Additional Learning Resources
FEATURED PODCAST
Happiness at Work | What to Do When You Hate Your Job But Love the Company
 Enjoy in less than 30 minutes!
Yes– you read that title correctly! The reality is that sometimes we end up in a role that initially seemed to be a good fit, but over time it becomes apparent that the work is not enjoyable. Listen and learn from Jill Valdez, founder and COO of LINK, about what to do when the company is great and the job is not so much.
SUGGESTED READING
How to Get Things Done When You Have No Motivation
(Alice Boyes Ph.D., Psychology Today)
Why Organizations Need Human-Centered Leaders
(Clare Norman, HR Katha)
How to Take Real Breaks While Working from Home
(Rebecca Muller, Thrive Global)
RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCE
Vanderbilt’s Innovation Center, The Wond’ry, Presents A Day of Wond’ry
Join the Wond’ry for a “Day of Wond’ry” on May 12, 2021 from 4pm – 6pm CST in celebration of the great innovators who work hard and bring forth awe-inspiring projects and creations.
This year’s fair will take place in Gather.town, a connection platform combining video conferencing with a 2D world to walk around in.
Register here for this fun-filled experience.
RECOMMENDED LEARNING
The Tennessee Diversity Consortium Hosts Inaugural DEI Forum (Virtual)
Join the Tennessee Diversity Consortium on April 28th from 11:30am – 1pm CST for the first in a regular series of Virtual DEI forums offering TDC members the opportunity to:
- Network in small cohorts by industry or organization type
- Identify and share common challenges, obstacles and best practices around DEI
- Share resources and tools needed to accelerate DEI efforts
- Map out the near and long term future of DEI across similar organizations or industries
The TDC was formed as an informal network for DEI practitioners to share model practices for diversity, equity, and inclusion. The global pandemic has elevated the challenge of equity across a wide variety of organizations, industries and geographies. There is no better time for diversity practitioners and leaders tasked with driving DEI to build stronger networks and better equip one another to achieve our DEI missions. Register today!
For a healthy dose of information, resources, inspiration, or even delicious recipes, opt-in to the HealthyU distribution list at wellbeing@vanderbilt.edu.
View the most recent edition here!
Communicate & Share Your Ideas
Got content suggestions? We’d love to hear from you. Email us your questions, thoughts, suggestions or requests for the newsletter or workshops and trainings at ele@vanderbilt.edu. Continue to encourage your teams and colleagues to opt-in to Rooted in Learning. Also, please note that a Vanderbilt email address is required to subscribe.
Happy Learning!
The Employee Learning & Engagement Team
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