Intersectional Day 1

What if we as foundations post-secondary educators see day one as the pivotal time to set the tone of allyship in our classroom, situating the rudder toward an atmosphere of diversity, inclusion, and belonging for our students and classroom community? What if this work to set an introductory intersectional climate helps shape the way our students approach the rest of their course, their semester, their university education, and beyond, helping them enter the wider world as allies against bigotry and hate? This presentation posits this endeavour to be as important and as engaging for our students as the technical and skill development journeys they will begin in their foundations curriculum. We will look at ways in which educators can start off their semester in a good way, giving space and time for key discussions on diverse and inclusive classroom communities, interpersonal exercises that stretch folks' collective and personal awareness, informed acknowledgements on space, culture, and land, and other methods that encourage a tone of belonging as it relates to QTBIPOC, international students, and our need to grow allies against hate and bigotry in our universities and our world.