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Build a Better House

This highly engaging activity will challenge participants to analyze how institutions can be inclusive to some while excluding others. This version was inspired by an activity created by Annette Benson and Brittany Biesiada, CILMAR, Building a House for Diversity: A Fable About a Giraffe & an Elephant Offers New Strategies for Today’s Workforce by Marjorie I. Woodruff and R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr.

Workshop Details

Group Size

Requires 10+ participants

Format

In-Person, Remote

Duration

1 Hour and 10 Minutes 

Goals and Objectives

As a result of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the importance of diverse perspectives
  • Provide empathy awareness
  • Understand the difference in communication styles within different cultures
  • Experience non-verbal aspects of the communication process and how these may be perceived differently
  • Identify cultural barriers to communication
  • Identify how differences in communication styles can impact the manner in which students understand each other

Workshop Details

Group Size

Requires 10+ participants

Format

In-Person, Remote

Duration

1 Hour and 10 Minutes 

Goals and Objectives

As a result of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the importance of diverse perspectives
  • Provide empathy awareness
  • Understand the difference in communication styles within different cultures
  • Experience non-verbal aspects of the communication process and how these may be perceived differently
  • Identify cultural barriers to communication
  • Identify how differences in communication styles can impact the manner in which students understand each other
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