Core Training
The Core Training is the heart of the Be The Change! Project, which offers Unitarian Universalist (UU) youth a starting place for discussions about the role of race, identity and justice in living out their faith. Read about the entire project at Be The Change!Youth Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Project.
For Facilitators
The Core Training expects a youth/adult co-facilitation team and can be used by a range of different groups and events. The following resources are available for facilitators who will be leading Be The Change! Core Trainings in their own faith communities.
- Facilitator’s Planning Guide (PDF, 13 pages)—find out how to plan this training and make it work for your unique situation.
- Tips for Facilitation—a must-read for all Core Training facilitators, these tips show what good facilitation looks like.
Core Training Sessions
The Core Training has six sessions designed to be used by local UU faith communities to engage youth participants in ways that are culturally relevant, accessible, and lead to action, regardless of participants’ past experience talking about race. The sessions integrate technology and multimedia to ensure high-quality presentations and include diverse voices.
Session 1: Race: What’s the Difference?
Establish a covenantal relationship among participants, demonstrate how groups exclude people, and guide participants to name their identities as a foundation for examining race and other differences.
Session 2: Why Should UUs Talk About Race?
Document the effects of persistent racism, give voice to UUs doing anti-racism work and demonstrate how our Principles call us to resist racism.
Session 3: Race is Something We Create
Define key terms, demonstrate ways race has been and continues to be legally, scientifically and socially created, and affirm that race is not biological fact, but is a concept made up by societies.
Session 4: Open to Differences: The Change Starts With Me
Introduce obstacles to cross-cultural communication, reflect on personal experiences with race, and explore the creation of stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination and how they limit the beloved community.
Session 5: Can We Live With Racism?
Demonstrate how racism and privilege operate at different levels of human interaction, develop participants' multicultural interaction skills.
Session 6: What Can I Do to Break Down Racism?
Teach tools to spread the word about ending racism, help participants identify their own strengths, and encourage participants to further action.