National Coalition Building Institute
The National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) is an international, nonprofit, leadership training organization based in Washington, D.C. Since 1984, NCBI has worked to eliminate racism and all other forms of prejudice and discrimination throughout the world. Middlesex Community College is a Campus Affiliate of NCBI and a member of the Massachusetts NCBI Campus consortium since fall 2007.
Middlesex offers NCBI - Welcoming Diversity/Prejudice Reduction, 1-day workshops each year. As a member of the Massachusetts Community Colleges Consortium, we partner with member colleges to make workshops available to our consortium members.
NCBI at Middlesex focuses on challenging assumptions, reducing prejudice, and creating social change. Key NCBI insights include:
- Differences among individuals need not lead to discrimination.
- Differences among groups can be a community asset.
- Differences on issues need not divide communities.
As an affiliate NCBI member, Middlesex is committed to using NCBI programs as a pro-active response to discrimination, controversy and intergroup conflict.
- Every person counts. Personal stories change attitudes. Listening to accounts of discrimination can provide a new perspective on the devastating impact of prejudice and can move people with prejudicial attitudes to become allies of those they have mistreated.
- Every issue counts. Race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic class, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and job and life circumstances are addressed. Prejudice and discrimination cannot be eliminated in one area while continuing to exist in another.
- Everyone's responsible. When people are taught respect and appreciation, especially when disagreeing, they are prepared to handle conflict as individuals and leaders in their communities and on their campuses.
NCBI leaders at Middlesex are a culturally diverse group of faculty, staff and administrators. They have been trained by NCBI to work together to empower others to eliminate the harmful effects of discrimination and enable groups from diverse backgrounds to work together toward shared goals.
NCBI leaders can offer customized workshops designed to create a more inclusive campus environment. The workshops allow participants to gain self-awareness, stretch beyond their own comfort zone, and develop new understanding of different groups. The workshops are highly participatory, emphasize the use of concrete skills, challenge stereotypes, and focus on strategies that are useful in daily lives.
To arrange for a workshop or to obtain more information about NCBI at Middlesex Community College, contact
Maria Isabel Gariepy, Executive Director of DEI & Belonging
Middlesex Community College
Federal Building, Room 104
33 Kearney Square, Lowell, Massachusetts 01852
Tel: 978-322-8490
Email: gariepym@middlesex.mass.edu