Conference
The 15th Annual Building Bridges Conference
This year's conference will be held Friday, March 16, 2012 at the Muenster University Center on USD's campus. This annual event is a collaborative conference sponsored by the USD Clinical Psychology Training Program and Admissions.
See the 2012 Conference Agenda.
The Mission of Building Bridges
We believe that exposure to and discussion of diversity issues such as racism and the ethnic minority experience can facilitate positive institutional change. We value and desire the respect for diversity in all levels of education. Building Bridges provides opportunities for students and faculty to learn effective ways to make higher education a positive experience for all students.
Building Bridges Conference Goals
Building on the theme since 2009 of "People Helping One Another," this year's Building Bridges Conference focuses on four directions and four dangerous wonderful things you need to do to soar like an eagle: Positive Attitude, Positive Humor, Positive Friends, and Positive Career.
Helping each other with these four things will help us all realize our dreams. We will have more fun than human beings can possibly imagine. All of this adds up to a positive you!
With this in mind, the goals of the conference are as follows:
- Through a combination of presentations and interactive activities, all participants will leave with a sense of themselves as potential helpers in their families and communities, some specific skills they can use as helpers, and a start on identifying the support networks that they are part of and to which they can turn when needed.
- Opportunities for participants and members of the campus and community to interact during conference events will contribute to building relationships and partnerships that may result in an increase in Native American student recruitment and retention at USD and, as a result, increased ethnic and cultural diversity on campus and in the community.
- Preparation for and participation in this annual conference will continue to provide clinical psychology graduate students and faculty members with opportunities to increase cultural awareness while improving clinical skills through direct interactions with ethnic minority youth. To this end, conference speakers and graduate students will provide information and skills training activities for Native American students in regional high schools.
