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Every year since 2017, the Salem State Center for Civic Engagement hosts an Annual Advocacy Conference that brings students, faculty, and community members together to explore social justice topics and learn important activist skills. This daylong conference became a weeklong virtual conference in 2021. This year we are celebrating our 6th Annual Advocacy Conference, reimagined into Advocacy Month. We are excited for the whole campus to be involved in a month's worth of advocacy education, exploration, and action.

Are you ready to be inspired and move from talking about community challenges to gaining the skills needed to take action? Join us as we explore social justice topics and learn important activist skills. Some of the programs addressed during the month include Racial Justice, Reproductive Freedom, Mental Health, Campus Hunger, Disability Rights, LGBTQ+ History and Advocacy, and Environmental Justice.

Please check back for frequent updates and further details.

Advocacy Month Kick-Off Event: We Are The Ones We Have Waited For

Monday, March 28 at 9:45-12:30 pm | Vets Hall

Musical Guest: SSockapella

Panelists:

• Anthony Davis, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Davis System, LLC
• Alexandria C. Onuoha, Director of Political Advocacy at Black Boston
• Cinda Danh, State and Local Outreach Associate at Act Blue

Join us for an energizing morning and learn from young local advocates who were inspired to step up and be the ones they were waiting for and lead positive changes in their community. Their stories are sure to empower and inspire us to acknowledge that we all have an important role to play in making our communities and our country a stronger and more equitable place to live. You will have the opportunity to hear inspiring stories from these advocates, network with them over lunch, listen to the musical stylings of Salem State’s very own SSockapella, and learn about all the exciting events hosted during Advocacy Month.

Hosted by Center for Civic Engagement

Women’s History Month Trivia Night

Monday, March 28 at 5 pm | Virtual

The Intersectional Feminist Collective is closing out Women’s History Month with their 2nd Annual Trivia Night! Register as an individual or as a team and compete for the winning title. This fun and fast-paced evening will be sure to leave you laughing and learning about some incredibly influential women from the past and present.

Hosted by The Intersectional Feminist Collective and Academic Affairs

Racial Justice Civic Dinner

Thursday, March 31 at 5:30-7:30 am | Marsh 210

Guest Advocates:

• Shantel Alix, Community Engagement Coordinator, North Shore Community Development Coalition
• Mayara Reis, Co-founder of the Merrimack Valley Black and Brown Voices (and SSU alum?)
• Julio Mota, Constituent Services Director/Latino Affairs in the Mayor’s Office

Please join us for an evening of food, networking, and learning from local racial justice advocates. Leaders will share with us information about their organization, the important role they play in the agency, and their trajectory to a career focused on racial justice. They will also provide insight on some of the current issues impacting our community, share advocacy efforts their team are engaged in to ensure the community's needs are met, and how students can be effective advocates. 

This event is only accepting 20 students.

Hosted by Center for Civic Engagement

Mental Health Advocacy with the Nan Project

Monday, April 4 at 3-4:30 pm | Metro Room, EEC

The NAN Project was established in 2015 to raise the conversation about mental health and suicide above a whisper by giving communities and schools the forum, tools, and resources needed to accept and address mental health and suicide.

Named in memory of Nancy Cavanaugh, who took her own life in 2012, The NAN Project’s approach to mental health awareness and suicide prevention through three primary areas of focus: the use of a peer-to-peer model to open up the conversation concerning young adult mental health; professional development workshops for educators and community gatekeepers; and speaking events in the community for parents and stakeholders.

Peer Mentor Presentation: The core of The NAN Project’s work is their peer-to-peer model, where peer mentors present their comeback stories to students with the goal of opening up the conversation around mental health issues and reducing the stigma. These stories detail their Peer Mentors’ struggles with mental illness and other issues facing young people, but more importantly, discuss the supports they were able to access and the coping strategies they have employed to find a path to recovery. By presenting these stories, they create a safe space for students to talk about mental health. In this presentation, they will also cover the signs and risks of a peer who may be struggling, as well as how to get them help in a crisis.

Hosted by The Center for Civic Engagement, Counseling and Health Services, The Nan Project, Salem's Next Leader's Program, and Dr. Joanna Gonsalves

Art and Activism

Wednesday, April 6 at 6 pm | Zoom

The arts can be a form of self-expression as well as a means to bring people together to reflect on their collective identities, experiences, hopes, and struggles. Through this kind of collaboration, artists help to build and strengthen communities while amplifying the voices of those with whom they work. This panel invites two artists, Silvia López Chavez and Michael Aghahowa, to discuss how their work intersects with activism and community engagement. The conversation will be led by Voices Against Injustice Board members, Doneeca Thurston (Executive Director at Lynn Museum/LynnArts) and Siddhartha V. Shah (Director of Education and Civic Engagement, and Curator of South Asian Art at Peabody Essex Museum).

Hosted by The Voices Against Injustice and The First Year Experience Office

Hungry to Learn Documentary and Panel Discussion

Thursday, April 7 at 5-7:45 pm | Starbucks

(Dinner Provided)

Panelists:

• Rachel Frank, Student Life Case Manager and Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for homeless and food insecure students (SSU)
• Kathleen O'Neill, Director, Single Stop and SPOC for homeless and food Insecure Students (Bunker Hill)
• Ann Ciraldi, Associate Dean of Compliance & Violence Prevention (UML)
• Student Panelists (TBD)

Join us in viewing the documentary Hungry to Learn and listen to a panel of local leaders in higher education addressing campus hunger. Following the panel, we will discuss how we as a university can address the challenge of food insecurity on our campus and beyond. 

Hosted by The Center for Civic Engagement, Civic Engagement Fellows, and Education Club

Women's History 365

Thursday, April 7 at 6-7pm | Zoom 

Join the Berry Institute of Politics for a powerful conversation with two women who made history. Mayor Kim Janey, the first woman and Black Mayor of Boston, and Denella Clark, Chairwoman of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women and President and CEO of Boston Arts Academy Foundation, will discuss the impact of women on history, culture, and society ALL year-long.

Earth Days 2022

Monday, April 11-Friday April 15

The theme of the 2022 Earth Days event is “Climate Crises: Actions for a Just and Livable World.” The celebration will feature a poster competition, art competition and – new this year – a writing competition. Details are available for the entire Salem State community.

Hosted by the Earth Days Planning Committee

Sex Positive Activist Workshop

Monday, April 11, 2022 | 12-1 pm | Charlotte Forten Room (MH316B) 

What kind of activist are you? This workshop hosted by Pleasure Pie is an interactive guide to figuring out how you can use your passion for sexual freedom to create real change. You are most effective when you're doing what you love, so let's figure out how you can take what you love doing (maybe it's writing, researching, starting conversations, making art, nurturing the people around you, or anything else you might be good at) and use it to create a more sexually accepting culture!



This workshop will cover topics of intersectional activism, finding a sex-positive community, fostering collaborations, and practicing self-care to avoid getting burnt out. We'll also talk about whether or not you need credentials to do the kind of work/projects you're interested in pursuing.

Hosted by the Intersectional Feminist Collective

 

Gender-Based Violence Part One

Wednesday, April 13 at 10:50 am-12:05 pm | HB 115 or Virtual

This workshop will cover an introduction to PEAR and campus resources, a discussion about consent and interpersonal violence trends both on our campus and more broadly, and space for Q&A about resources and reporting on campus.

PEAR Program (Prevention, Education, Advocacy, and Response), Healthcare Studies Department, and Dr. Patrice DeLeon

Build-A-Bed

Wednesday, April 13 at 10 am | O’Keefe Center parking lot, 225 Canal Street.

Every child deserves a place to dream. But many live without one because their family can’t afford a bed. Through the Build a Bed team-building program, you can help ensure a child in your community falls asleep safe, warm, and cozy each night. All building materials will be provided. And in just a few hours, you’ll transform a bundle of wood into a life-changing resource — while empowering your team to work collaboratively, hone new skills, and achieve a goal you can be proud of.

Hosted by the Alumni Association and Athletics

History of Disability Advocacy

Wednesday, April 13 at 6 pm | Zoom

Professor Elspeth Slayter will chronicle the history of how the U.S. disability community has countered significant ableism and oppression through disability activism towards the development of disability civil rights policy. Professor Slayter, a member of the disability community and disability services researcher, has advocated for disability civil rights in state and federal policy arenas. She is a professor at ����ֱ��'s School of Social Work.

Hosted by the Berry Institute of Politics, School of the Social Work, and Disability Services

History UnErased: LGBTQ+ History and Advocacy

Friday, April 15 | 10:50 am-12:05 pm | Zoom

An interactive presentation by HistoryUnErased about the difficult questions our nation is facing as we are trying to reconcile historic discrimination and the role of history and social studies K-12 education in that process.

Hosted by Center for Civic Engagement and Dr. Kim Poitevin 

Environmental Justice Civic Dinner

Tuesday, April 19 at 5:30-7:30 pm | Viking 123

Guest Advocates:

• Jeff Cohen, Ward 5 City Councillor, Salem, MA
• Esmeralda M. Bisono, Sustainability & Resiliency Manager, City of Salem, MA
• Gabe Cohen-Glinick, Lynn Organizer with Neighbor to Neighbor

Please join us for an evening of food, networking, and learning from local environmental justice advocates. Leaders will share with us information about their organization, the important role they play in the agency, and their trajectory to a career focused on environmental justice. They will also provide insight on some of the current issues impacting our community, share advocacy efforts their team is engaged in, and how students can be effective advocates. 

This event is only accepting 20 students.

Hosted by the Center for the Civic Engagement

Bad Old Days Posse and Reproductive Freedom

Wednesday, April 20 at 10:50 am-12:05 pm | Zoom

Join us on a journey through the history of what life was like for women in the 1950s and ’60s before Roe vs. Wade. Three Posse members will share the stories of their illegal abortions or how they engaged in abortion counseling before Roe vs. Wade. They will close with a discussion about the next steps and leave time for questions.

Hosted by the Center for the Civic Engagement, Dr. Vanessa Ruget, Dr. Kim Poitevin, Dr. Patrice DeLeon, and the Intersectional Feminist Collective

Lunch with Sam Lim: A Discussion on Self-Care in LGBTQIA+ Advocacy

Wednesday, April 20 at 1-2 pm | MLK Room

Join the Center for Justice and Liberation for a lunch discussion with LGBTQIA+ educator and advocate, Sam Lim (they/them/their). They will share learned insights and advice from their career on how to embrace self-care while advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community. This event is open to ����ֱ�� students only. Space is limited, please RSVP.

Hosted by the Center for Justice and Liberation 

Gender-Based Violence Part Two

Wednesday, April 21 at 12:15 am-1:30 pm  | HB 115 or Virtual

This workshop will cover an introduction to PEAR and campus resources, a discussion about consent and interpersonal violence trends both on our campus and more broadly, and space for Q&A about resources and reporting on campus.

PEAR Program (Prevention, Education, Advocacy, and Response), Healthcare Studies Department, and Dr. Patrice DeLeon

Beyond Advocacy Month.... 

Recognizing and Responding To Intimate Partner Violence

Wednesday, April 27 | Virtual 

This conference is co-hosted by PEAR, the healthcare studies department and Salem State School of Nursing. It will be targeted to an audience of students and faculty working in the fields of healthcare, social work, and criminal justice. Sessions will cover recognizing and responding to domestic violence/intimate partner violence, trauma-informed care, the neurobiology of trauma, and MA DPH’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program resources for those working with survivors of sexual assault.

For more information contact: pear@salemstate.edu.

Hosted by: PEAR Program (Prevention, Education, Advocacy, and Response), Healthcare Studies Department, and School of Nursing. 

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*The Theme: We are the Ones We Have Waited For is Inspired by The Ones We've Been Waiting For: How a New Generation of Leaders Will Transform America by Charlotte Alter and We Are The Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Inner Light in Times of Darkness by Alice Walker.