Sponsored by TIAA

SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, September 21, 2022, at the Michigan League

The annual CEW+ Advocacy Symposium returns in person this fall to bring together staff, faculty, students, and community members to create change through introspection, dialogue, and action.

The goal is to give participants practical tools to better advocate for themselves and others. CEW+ seeks to encourage attendees to think about the many ways in which we can be activists as well as how we can support others in navigating the current systems that impact their life. Attendees are exposed to various approaches to advocacy and engage in self-reflection, group discussion, and action-planning to advance their ability to advocate for themselves, others, and on behalf of causes central to their professional and personal goals.

The advocacy symposium features a keynote lecture from a nationally or internationally renowned advocate, the presentation of the Carol Hollenshead Inspire Award for Excellence in Promoting Equity and Social Change, a capstone presentation by the outgoing Twink Frey Visiting Social Activist, and the introduction of the next activist. Attendees participate in workshop and roundtable discussions that highlight relevant U-M resources, offer professional development skill-building, and showcase the advocacy journeys of diverse speakers. The event intends to spark further engagement with the work of the Center through the CEW+ Inspire workshop series and provide opportunities for early-career and more experienced advocates to share and learn from each other’s unique experiences.

This year’s symposium will feature:

• Opening session: Financial Empowerment roundtable discussions and lunch hosted by Laurita Thomas, Executive in Residence, Center for Positive Organizations, President, American Research Universities Human Resources Institute;  Anne Ollen, MA, CEBS, Managing Director, TIAA Institute; and Tiffany Marra, PhD, CEW+ Director.
• A capstone presentation by outgoing CEW+ Twink Frey Visiting Social Activist, Theresa Anderson, Senior Researcher, Urban Institute. Dr. Anderson’s work explores the networks that Michigan student parents navigate, providing insights on policy and practice changes that would make it easier for parenting students in the state, and specifically in the U-M system, to meet their educational goals. CEW+ will also announce the incoming 2023 CEW+ Twink Frey Visiting Social Activist.
• Workshops hosted by CEW+, the Ginsberg Center, the Program on Intergroup Relations, and SAPAC are designed to showcase a variety of approaches to advocacy. Workshops provide attendees the opportunity to engage in self-reflection, group discussion, and action-planning to advance their advocacy efforts on behalf of causes that are central to their personal and professional goals.
• The awarding of the 2022 Carol Hollenshead Inspire Award for Excellence in Promoting Equity and Social Change. Awardees include faculty, staff, and students whose sustained efforts have resulted in greater equity with regard to gender, race, class, age disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Awardees will present lightning talks and participate in a panel discussion.
• The Christobel Kotelawela Weerasinghe Lecture, presented by Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, founding Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center and executive board member of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding and the Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund. Dr. Akiyode-Afolabi is a professor, lawyer, and civil rights activist whose work is focused on maternal and reproductive health advocacy, gender-based violence, social justice, and the underrepresentation of women in governance. Her talk is titled “From protests to policy reforms, advancing gender equality in a complex, multi ethnic and multi religious Nigeria.”

The CEW+ Advocacy Symposium is made possible with support from TIAA, our corporate sponsor, and with funding from CEW+’s Christobel Kotelawela Weerasinghe Lecture fund.

 

Registration coming soon!