C.E.A.D. Conference offers on-campus diversity, equity workshops 

C.E.A.D. Conference offers on-campus diversity, equity workshops 

April 5, 2022 LA GRANDE, Ore. – Now in its eleventh year, the Celebrate, Educate & Appreciate Diversity (C.E.A.D.) Conference has become a signature event at Eastern Oregon University. 

This half-day conference, to be held April 23, invites students, staff and community members across Eastern Oregon to network and explore important issues around diversity and student leadership. The conference provides a safe space where participants can engage in thoughtful and informative conversations. 

“I look forward to the conference being back in-person because it will allow us to have conversations and interactions in a different way than we would virtually,“ said Frances Santos, a senior studying Anthropology and Sociology who serves as the Student Council for Multicultural Affairs Coordinator and co-chairs the CEAD Planning Committee. 

The CEAD Conference offers diversity training and education for students, equipping them to “lead responsible and reflective action in a diverse and interconnected world.” Students participating in the CEAD Conference gain a greater awareness and understanding of power, privilege, biases, and stereotypes, as well as a broader understanding of differences in groups, backgrounds, cultures, practices, and worldviews through meaningful dialogue. The conference provides a space where participants can engage in thoughtful and informative dialogue that also challenges multiple perspectives and fosters understanding. 

This year’s conference will take place in-person and features diversity and inclusion presentations with an emphasis on empowering youth voices, healing, unpacking identity and more. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by the opening keynote speaker at 9 a.m. Two workshop sessions will be offered immediately following the keynote. The conference will conclude with closing remarks and lunch served at the Mountie Cafe, located on the second floor of Hoke Union Building. All activities take place in Badgley Hall on EOU’s campus in La Grande. Participants receive a certificate identifying that they have completed four hours of diversity training.

Attendees will hear from keynote speaker Bushra Amiwala, who will speak about empowering youth voices and intersectionality. Amiwala is a community organizer, a social justice advocate, and the youngest Muslim elected official in the United States serving on the Skokie School Board. As a first-generation child of Pakistani immigrants, Amiwala will share her wealth of experience and different perspectives to discuss a variety of impactful and timely topics around diversity, equity and inclusion. 

This year’s CEAD workshop presenters also include Health Equity Advocate Jaylyn Suppah (Confederated Tribe of Warm Springs). Closing remarks will be offered by Chicano artist and scholar Jake Prendez.

C.E.A.D. is made possible with support from the Student Council for Multicultural Affairs, the Center for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging, the EOU Diversity Committee, and EOU’s Oregon Teacher Pathways Program. 

This year’s CEAD conference will also be accessible online via Zoom for current online EOU students. A Zoom link will be provided to online students who email the Center for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging office at mccenter@eou.edu to request one. 

Online registration closes April 20. Conference registration is free for all current EOU students. Registration costs $20 for students from other institutions or high schools, $30 for EOU faculty and staff, and $40 for community members. The Oregon Teacher Pathways Program will cover the registration costs for College of Education faculty and staff. Payment can be made via cash or check at the registration table on the day of the conference. To register for the event and for more information, please visit eou.edu/mc/programs-services/cead-conference. 

In accordance with changes in statewide requirements, EOU has suspended enforcement of its COVID-19 Pandemic Face Covering Policy. Face coverings/masks are welcomed, but not required in most EOU settings. N95/KN95 masks are highly effective at protecting the wearer, and are available near building entrances for those who would like to use them. 

Contact Mika Morton, Interim Director Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at mnmorton@eou.edu or Frances Santos, Student Council for Multicultural Affairs Coordinator at scma@eou.edu to learn more.