The deadline to apply for the Spring 2023 MLE Cohort has been extended to Wednesday, February 8th, 2023 and will close at 11:59pm. 

The Multicultural Leadership Experience (MLE) is a collaboration between Campus Life and Initiatives for Identity Inclusion & Belonging (i3B), that seeks to: 

Engage participants in a multicultural development and leadership learning program; 
Enhance participants' understanding of their social identities, leader identity, as well as their capacity to lead; 
And enable participants' development through authenticity, self-awareness, relationships, and capitalizing on difference. 

The sessions are as follows:

- Monday, February 13th, 3 - 4:30pm 

- Monday, February 27th, 3 - 4:30pm 

- Monday, March 13th, 3 - 4:30pm 

- Monday, April 17th, 3 - 4:30pm 

- Monday, May 15th, 3 - 5:00pm 

***All sessions will take place in The Commons 2B23 | The Mosaic: Center for Cultural Diversity***
 

Participants will be exploring the concept of Authentic Leadership, Legacy Building, and Breaking Barriers of White Supremacy within Leadership. We will do this in a leadership learning cohort by: 

• Enhancing participants' leader identity and leadership capacity using an identity-conscious lens and student development theories;
• Increasing participants' awareness of their personal abilities, identity development, and intersections that shape their story through authenticity, self-reflection, and cultural humility;
• Exploring the role they play in developing relationships while building intra/intercultural connections; 
• And capitalizing on their differences, specifically in relation to their racial, ethnic, national, and other salient identity social groups. 

The purpose of all MLE programs is to provide a space for students and student leaders who identify within diverse or marginalized backgrounds to discover their own capacity to lead, while also promoting a better understanding of their experiences, issues, strengths, and outcomes in navigating their own collegiate careers. However, ALL students are welcome to apply!   

Registration has been extended to close on Wednesday, February 8th, 2023 at 11:59pm. If you are interested in signing up to be a part of our Spring 2023 cohort, you can sign up using this form. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to participate. In order to be accepted into the program you must commit to all 5 sessions. Please answer all of the questions before submitting your registration. Any questions can be sent to campuslife@umbc.edu and i3b@umbc.edu.

"How to Be a Better Ally", is a co-facilitated workshop series that focuses on various underrepresented and/or marginalized populations. The series aims to provide UMBC community members with the basic practices for allyship, specifically for the highlighted population.

For the Spring 2023 semester, the "How to Be a Better Ally" series has now expanded to include the following programs. These programs serve as a foundation for allyship under the intersectional identity areas. "How to Be a Better Ally" as a stand-alone program is a workshop to further participants' understanding of the targeted population. This workshop can be requested using the i3b workshop request link here.

FaithZone: Exploring Faith & Spirituality at UMBC

Thursday, February 23rd | 3:30 - 5:30pm

The Mosaic 2B23 The Commons

Monday, March 27th | 3:30 - 5:30pm

The Gathering Space 103 CWB

Join the conversation and exploration of religion, faith, and spirituality in this workshop at UMBC. This session will include a brief overview of the national landscape of religious practice and spirituality on college campuses, encourage storytelling and connection through the lived experience of participants, provide an opportunity to learn and discuss best practices, and introduce participants to resources and opportunities to engage further with this topic and the UMBC community.

Living into the Tension: Faith, Diversity, & Allyship

Wednesday, March 8^th | 4:00 – 5:00pm

The Mosaic 2B23 The Commons

In partnership with The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being, join the conversation and discuss the importance of being an ally during the intersections of race & ethnicity with religious & spiritual beliefs and identity. This workshop will further unpack the understanding of living at the intersections of religious, spiritual, and racial identities.

For further information and updates on our "How to Be a Better Ally" series, check our myUMBC page for additional information. 

Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, & Belonging join in honoring, celebrating, and bringing awareness to our Black and African American community. We recognize the incredible impact and influence on our history and country while also celebrating the culture, families, love, and service of all Black and African American folks. 

Per the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the 2023 theme for Black History Month is "Black Resistance". 

For more information about ASALH and the 2023 Black History Month theme, click here. 

Officially and nationally recognized as of 1976, Black History Month honors these great contributions while acknowledging all that has happened both past and present to the Black and African American community. The lives, culture, joy, and impact of Black history can be seen within all of our spaces and this celebration is not confined to only February but in special tribute. 

Throughout the month of February, join in our UMBC community in celebrating with events and programs. 

Buymaye Dance Workshop

February 2nd, 7:00pm - 9:30pm | Retrievers Activity Center Room 130

Sponsored by: the African Students Association 

Black Excellence Gala 

February 11th, 7:00pm - 10:00pm | The Commons Skylight 

Sponsored by: the Africana Council, Association of Black Artists, African Students Association, Black Student Union, Black Men's Society, Caribbean Students Association, National Society of Black Engineers, and The Lambda Kappa Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta National Sorority, Inc. 

Continue to check back for updates on programs and events. 

To further connect with our Black and Africana student organizations please check out https://my.umbc.edu/. 

Women's Center Spring 2023 Hours of Operation:

Welcome Back Retrievers!

Please join us for the i3b welcome back Game Night on Wednesday, February 1st from 5:00-7:00pm in the SportsZone in the Commons. Come for games, snacks, and to learn about our work on campus!

Also, we are excited to welcome you all back to campus and to i3b's identity-based spaces across campus: The Mosaic Center for Cultural Diversity, The Pride Center, and The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being. Below you will find the operational hours of these spaces. *Please note that space hours might shift based on staff availability and event times*

The Mosaic Center for Cultural Diversity Hours

·      Mondays: 10:00am-6:00pm

·      Tuesdays:  10:00am-6:00pm

·      Wednesdays: 12:00pm-:800pm 

·      Thursdays: 10:00am-6:00pm 

·      Fridays:  10:00am-6:00pm

The Pride Center Hours

·      Mondays: 10:00am-7:30pm

·      Tuesdays:  10:00am-9:00pm

·      Wednesdays: 10:00am-7:00pm

·      Thursdays: 11:00am-9:00pm

·      Fridays:  10:00am-5:00pm

The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being Hours

·      Mondays: 8:00am-10:00pm

·      Tuesdays:  8:00am-10:00pm

·      Wednesdays: 8:00am-10:00pm

·      Thursdays: 8:00am-10:00pm

·      Fridays:  8:00am-10:00pm

Don't hesitate to reach out to i3b (i3b@umbc.edu) with questions.

Thanks,

i3b Staff Team