Kansas State University

Safe Zone Advanced Workshop: 'Recovering Mental Bandwidth Lost to Racism and Social Marginalization'

Submitted by Debra Bolton

Many in our K-State community as members of non-majority groups live with persistent economic insecurity while systematically experiencing environmental conditions that result in chronic stress, thereby decreasing physical and mental health with fewer social and economic opportunities.

The costs of these many kinds of scarcities — money, health, respect, safety, affirmation, choices and senses of belonging — seriously reduce “mental bandwidth,” the cognitive capacity and emotional resources needed to make sound decisions, learn in school, maintain healthy relationships, thrive at work and more.

While most come to K-State with similar mental capacities as their majority-identified peers, there is a need for us to create equitable learning environments, to mitigate loss and to help recover capacities hijacked to poverty, racism, trauma and other different "isms."

Please join the Safe Zone team from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST Friday, Nov. 13, for a special advanced online workshop with Cia Verschelden, retired vice president of academic and student affairs at Malcolm X College in Chicago. Her research and writing related to equity in educational opportunity led to publication of her bestselling book, directed at faculty, student affairs and administrators in higher education, "Bandwidth Recovery: Helping Students Reclaim Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Racism and Social Marginalization."

Verschelden received a bachelor's in psychology from Kansas State University, a master's in social work from the University of Connecticut, and an educational doctorate from Harvard University.

Please register for this Safe Zone workshop here: https://kstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bDRmaOeBRThYvGZ.