Kaleidoscope
***The application process for 2012-2013Kaleidoscope Peer Educators is now open!***
Would you like to:
* Learn to facilitate difficult conversations about multicultural issues?
* Help promote diversity and social justice on campus?
* Earn extra money?
Then apply to be a Kaleidoscope Peer Educator! Below are some upcoming dates to remember:
Information Session Tuesday, April 10, 2012, 4PM-5PM
Applications Due Friday, April 13, 2012, 5PM
Group Interviews Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 6PM-8PM
Kaleidoscope Orientation Dinner Thursday, April 19, 2012, 6PM-8PM
Weekly Trainings/meetings Fall 2012/Spring 2013 TBD
All events take place in the Multicultural Resource Center, 062 Elliott University Center.
More information on the program, including its mission and goals, is below. To apply please download the kaleidoscope application and email it to lavidabl@uncg.edu by Friday, April 13 at 5pm. Please contact Lucia Vidable (lavidabl@uncg.edu
The Kaleidoscope Peer Education Program, offered by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, encourages undergraduate students to take an active role in campus education around issues of multiculturalism, equity and social justice. Kaleidoscope was created to afford students opportunities to challenge their peers’ awareness and appreciation of difference. The program challenges student educators and peer participants to think critically about the various communities in which they exist. Like the instrument for which the group is named, Kaleidoscope operates on the foundation that beauty is reflected through the sum of many parts.
SCOPEs — Student Coordinators of Peer Education — are undergraduate students who are selected and trained to facilitate social justice programs in residence halls, with members of Greek organizations, and elsewhere across campus. These dynamic students are passionate about issues of multiculturalism, social justice and equity. They are well-equipped to educate their peers about a wide range of topics. SCOPEs are uniquely poised among their peers to raise awareness, promote inclusiveness and prompt genuine understanding and celebration of differences across campus.
Our Mission
Kaleidoscope is a peer education program that gives members of the UNCG community opportunities to engage in open dialogue that promotes intergroup exchange and understanding. Our multidisciplinary approach draws from fields like psychology, sociology and history and is rooted in social justice education principles. Complex issues are discussed in the context of how they operate in society. The goal is to expand understanding of multiple intersecting identities including, but not limited to, sexual orientation, gender, ability status, religious affiliation, class, race and ethnicity. Kaleidoscope programs can be requested by any campus community—for example, residence halls, student organizations, classes and retreats. We hope that you will be able to use this resource to connect with other members of the UNCG community.
We aim to:
- plant seeds of understanding and genuine respect across cultures;
- promote cultural diversity;
- create an open environment where members of the UNCG campus community can discuss sensitive topics; and
- approach and overcome barriers and boundaries to authentic communication.
Program Goals
For Peer Educators
- To afford peer educators opportunities to clarify individual identities;
- To develop high level facilitation skill;
- To provide an intellectual space for students who value social justice to unite;
- To form a supportive network with other peer facilitators across campus;
- To enhance leadership skills and multicultural competence of peer educators;
- To inspire peer educators to incorporate social justice ideals into their lives after college.
For Undergraduate Participants
- To offer opportunities for fun, interactive and informative programs related to social justice topics;
- To create safe spaces for students to have honest conversation in the absence of faculty, staff or others perceived to be in positions of power;
- To challenge students to think critically about their world view; and
- To meet students where they are, literally — within residence hall communities, Greek enclaves, club meetings, etc. — and figuratively, in order to maximize their satisfaction with the Kaleidoscope experience.
