The great poet Maya Angelou wrote, "I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself." It can be hard to feel like you can succeed when you don’t feel like you belong. A crucial part of success is feeling like you’re part of the environment you’re working in, much in the way that it’s easier to swim in the sea when you’re not moving against the tide. Sometimes we have to develop strategies that can make room for our own success when others aren’t willing to open up space for us.
If you’re looking for advice on how to advocate for yourself in and out of the classroom, lend your ears to the fine folks from Civic Cipher. Civic Cipher is a nationally syndicated radio show and podcast hosted by Q Ward & Ramsey Ja, a former Rio Salado student and Phoenix College graduate. Civic Cipher will be coming to Rio Salado College on Monday, January 8, for two in-person Strategies for Success workshops on how to foster a spirit of belonging in classrooms and workspaces. Students, learn how you can self-advocate as a student and stay motivated as you work toward graduation. Instructors, hear tips on how you can help students feel a greater sense of belonging in the classroom. Our Civic Cipher guest speakers will be joined onstage by fellow Rio students and alumni who will share their own experiences about belonging.
Civic Cipher's weekly broadcast is dedicated to empowering Black and Brown voices. Set in motion in early 2020 by the violent and egregious murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, Civic Cipher was created as a response to a desperate call to action and an urgent need for change. Q Ward and Ramses Ja are both broadcasting veterans who’ve spent nearly two decades working in entertainment and have interviewed leading figures in sports, film, television, music, activism, and philanthropy.
The Civic Cipher event is made possible by the Avanzar Project, an initiative funded by a Department of Education grant awarded to Rio Salado under Title V.
“The project will continue over the next four years to provide services and events like this to support students at Rio Salado and help ensure their success and increased sense of belonging in the college setting,” said Henry Smith, Title V Program Manager at Rio Salado College.
Strategies for Success: A Civic Cipher Chat for Students and Instructors
Details:
Jan. 8, 2024
Rio Salado Tower, Room 515
Live and virtual
11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Two sessions!
11 a.m - noon: Student focused
12:30 - 1:30: Instructor focused
Everyone is invited to attend either session. Joining us in person? Please RSVP to avanzar@riosalado.edu. Space is limited.
Joining us online? Register for the event
Article by Austin Brietta