Eastern Oregon University > Academics > Eastern Oregon University’s Center for Strategic Equity Initiatives Announces 14th Annual CEAD Conference

Eastern Oregon University’s Center for Strategic Equity Initiatives Announces 14th Annual CEAD Conference

Eastern Oregon University’s Center for Strategic Equity Initiatives Announces 14th Annual CEAD Conference

LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University’s Center for Strategic Equity Initiatives is pleased to announce the 14th annual Celebrate, Educate, Appreciate Diversity (CEAD) Conference, scheduled for Saturday, May 3, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gilbert Center on EOU’s main campus in La Grande. A light breakfast and lunch will be served.

The 12th annual Celebrate, Educate, & Appreciate Diversity (CEAD) Conference was held on the campus of Eastern Oregon University in 2023. The conference is designed to give participants a greater awareness and understanding of power, privilege, biases, and stereotypes, as well as gain a broader understanding of differences in groups, backgrounds, cultures, practices, and worldviews through meaningful dialogue. Lynn Carlson speaks during the conference. (EOU photograph / Michael K. Dakota)

This half-day conference offers a space to foster meaningful connections, engage in thoughtful reflection, and explore practices that promote understanding and compassion across differences through an engaging keynote address and an interactive workshop. In our complex and interconnected world, creating an environment where everyone can thrive begins with cultivating genuine relationships and embracing diverse perspectives.

This year, we are thrilled to welcome back Dr. Jeremiah Sims, last year’s keynote speaker for the CEAD Conference, as he continues to inspire and lead the conversation on fostering connections and understanding. What does it look like to show up as your full, authentic self in a world that often tries to shrink you down? In his powerful and engaging keynote and interactive workshop, Dr. Sims invites us to explore what it means to resist being reduced, erased, or dehumanized—and instead, to embrace our full complexity.

Through storytelling, insight, and deep care, Dr. Sims walks us through the systems that cause harm, but more importantly, he shows what healing and wholeness can look like. Inspired by his new book, Finding the Beautiful Path, this talk is both a challenge and an invitation: to imagine new ways of being, to hold space for joy and resistance, and to begin building better futures—together.

This keynote isn’t just about learning—it’s about feeling, reflecting, and connecting. Come as you are, and leave inspired to grow, resist, and become.

The CEAD Conference provides an opportunity to reflect on the ways we relate to one another, challenge assumptions, and broaden our understanding of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. Participants will gain insights into the dynamics of power and privilege while learning practical strategies to foster empathy, reduce biases, and celebrate differences. As part of Eastern Oregon University’s ongoing commitment to preparing students for leadership in an interconnected world, this conference is open and free to all EOU students, faculty, and staff. Conference registration for community members and all others is $50.

For our online community, the conference will be live-streamed on EOU’s network. Details about accessing the livestream will be shared closer to the event date.

To register or learn more, please visit our website at https://www.eou.edu/mc/programs-services/cead-conference/.Questions? Please contact Mika Morton at mnmorton@eou.edu.