Mini-Modules: Widening the Circle
The Widening the Circle (WtC) Mini-Modules were created to give Affiliates internal resources to train staff, volunteers, and board members on the importance of considering, centering, and understanding varied experiences. Though these modules are not limited to the FASD space, they focus on concepts necessary for people working in it to understand.
These mini-modules were created by the Widening the Circle Work Group, including the following members:
- Marla Castaneda
- Kelly Henderson
- Kendra Gludt
- Kallio Hunnicut-Ferguson (current co-chair of WTC)
- Brittenany Gillespie (current co-chair of WTC)
- Annika Montag
- Rachel Sing (founder and former chair WTC)
- Shaneca Smith
Early Contributors:
- Michael Jeffery
- Mary Katasse
- Ann Yabusaki
- Carl Young
Note: All presentations have companion materials and guides to support their use.
Explore the Mini-Modules Below
Start Here
Connection & Belonging
Masking
Mindset and Widening Aperture
Which module might be best to meet my goals?
Connection & Belonging
- I am looking for a tool to start a conversation about how our group (board, staff, advisory committee, client-staff relations, etc.) can increase mutual trust and authenticity in order to amplify our effectiveness and deepen our impact in the FASD space.
- I am concerned that not everyone in our group feels fully included or fully comfortable voicing their views, especially if their views differ from the majority of members or if their living experience is quite different from the majority of members.
- I would like our group to consider concrete steps we can take to foster Connection & Belonging at our organization, and what that might look like, as a way to broaden our reach and be more inclusive in our particular community, locale, and/or organization.
Mindset & Widening the Aperture
- I am looking for a tool to start a conversation in my group (board, staff, advisory committee, client-staff relations, etc.) about how our individual beliefs and attitudes shape how we make sense of the world, ourselves, and others. My goal is to help my group 1) become more self aware and 2) better understand everyone’s motivations and priorities. This would help us to increase our effectiveness in advancing the mission of our organization and deepen our impact in the FASD space.
- I am looking for a tool to help people in my group or our clients who might not feel fully included or fully comfortable voicing their views. I would like to provide individuals with the space to share their perspectives and experience being heard, especially if their views differ or their living experience is quite different from the majority of our members/clients.
- I would like our group to consider concrete steps we can take to consider mindset and become more open to or curious about other perspectives and experiences at our organization in order to broaden our reach and be more impactful in our particular community, locale, and/or organization.
Masking & Camouflaging
- I am looking for a tool to start a conversation in my group (board, staff, advisory committee, client-staff relations, etc.) to increase awareness about how individuals with whom we work (or in our group) may feel the need to hide their identities or qualities of themselves to better fit in with the norms of their school, workplace, or society. This would help us to increase our effectiveness in working with individuals with FASD who may engage in these behaviors and deepen our impact in the FASD space.
- I am looking for a tool to help people in my group or our clients who may feel the need (consciously or unconsciously) to mask their identities or aspects of themselves. I am concerned that aspects of our organization or society may impact how comfortable individuals feel being themselves due to stigma, lack of accommodations, or misunderstandings about neurodiversity.
- I would like our group to consider concrete steps we can take to reduce stigma, increase accommodations, and reduce misunderstandings so that individuals in our group or our clients feel more able to be themselves. This would allow us to be more impactful in our particular community, locale, and/or organization.