a difference fueled enriched wholistic learning experience together
Unity-dei-versity STaRT is an innovative training approach that provides Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) learning experiences in School Technology, Relationships, and Trauma-Resilency (STaRT) . The diversity of cultures such as Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islanders (BILAPI), other People of Color (POC), and White help enrich business, life and learning experiences.
For some BIPOC groups to effectively tackle the difficult disciplines of study in technology requires addressing the root barriers of learning which may include educational, social, legal, and economic injustice, fragile families and amplified traumatic experiences. Unity-dei-versity STaRT seeks to bring together and unify people groups, technology, diverse families to bring life changing training and healing wholeness to traumatized individuals and families.
About Dr. George
George R. Williams, Ph.D., is a trainer, curricula developer and consultant and the current president of Stand Up for Black Lives+ Prairie Village. He has decades of experience at executive director and director level leadership in non-profit, for profit and government oranizations. He is a professional public speaker and presenter at various local, state and national conferences. Published author and author of numerous family, trauma, diversity, and tech curricula, presentations, and trainings.
As a nationally recognized fathering expert Dr. Williams served for a decade as the executive director of urban fathering at the National Center for Fathering. He continues to work as a fathering practitioner, master trainer and consultant and has inspired thousands across the country with his engaging and passionate presentations and training.
Dr. Williams has been featured in national media and has authored numerous fathering articles and curricula including Quenching the Father Thirst and was a contributing author for the book, Why Fathers Count. He has a Doctor of Philosophy in family studies and a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Kansas State University and a Master of Science in marriage and family therapy from Friends University. Dr. Williams and his wife Trudy have been married for 36 years and have three sons and one daughter and live in the greater Kansas City area.
STaRT Something
Our ability to learn sets us apart from all of God's creation. The power of learning can enable us to love all our neighbors like we love ourselves, start a technology company, repair a broken family relationship and overcome traumatic life experiences. And while Unity-dei-versity Start and others can help provide learning experiences it it ultimately the learner to provide the grit to learn and work to bring about change. Here are the four broad categories where Unity-dei-versity STaRT (School Technology, Relationships, Trauma-resiliency) assist in making change plausible.
DEI Start
In the U.S. our history of slavery, racism and discrimination has never been reconciled. Today, African Americans live daily with the on-going impact of systemic racism. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts help raise the level of awareness, the need for allies and the actions required to rectify these injustices. To help guide us by the shared values of mutual respect, the innate dignity of every human being, and the belief in basic human rights for all. And the unarmed truth, unconditional compassion and unrelenting humble activism are the tools to bring justice for all.
Tech Start
The US has nearly 1 million open information technology (IT) jobs but there is still a major gap in needed talent.The acceleration of technology will alter and replace many of the nearly 25 percent of African American workers who are highly susceptible to lower skill automation. Now more than ever we need more women and minorities to be more than passive consumers of technology. We need them to become creators and innovators of technologies to bring diverse solutions and perspectives where they can share in the wealth, help other out of poverty and enrich our country.
Relationship Start
In my dissertation I found statistically significant positive associations between the quantity and quality of the biological father involvement in the non-intact families and young adult child outcomes. The results indicated the importance of the role of the father; even in a non-intact family where the father spends time apart from his children, he is still able to influence positive outcomes of his children. Another important finding is the strong correlation between a supportive family as a child and positive outcomes as an adult. The survival of our country depends of the strengthening of our fragile children and families.
Trauma-Resilency Start
In late 1990s, the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) research supported two important findings, the first was how common trauma is for all of every person, the second was trauma’s connection with negative health outcomes. Of the over 17,000 adults who participated in the study 67% had experienced one or more traumatic experiences as a child. And the traumatic childhood experiences were exponentially linked to poor and potentially deadly health outcomes as adults (Felitti et al., 1998). Trauma awareness, building resilency and recovery must be integrated in every faucet of social helping for the sake of the physical, emotional and social well-being of individuals and families.