Vanguard University

*Plenary session is addressed to a general audience but may include advanced content. Required or unrequired student leader attendance is at the discretion of organizational leaders & student supervisors. This large session may be advanced for those new to the conversation.

*Highly Recommended for Student Leaders

What makes a great student leader?  Sure, it's important to be “collaborative,” “inclusive,” or a “great communicator."  But if you don't have skills to compassionately interact with students who come from backgrounds and cultures that are different from one another -- and especially from you -- those will just be meaningless hashtags. Come to this workshop to learn vocabulary and frameworks to have better dialogues, to apply action steps in conversations about leadership challenges you face, and most importantly, to become better equipped as an effective servant leader — because intercultural skills are not optional for effective Kingdom living.

*Recommended for student leaders working in diversity specific roles

This presentation aims to empower student leaders with the skills, mindset, and strategies necessary to advocate for meaningful change on their campuses and beyond. Leadership is not just about holding a title but about actively bridging gaps between different groups, perspectives, and resources to create a more inclusive, just, and effective community. Rooted in servant leadership principles and faith-based values, this workshop encourages students to align their advocacy efforts with ethical decision-making and community impact. Effective student leadership goes beyond representation—it requires advocacy, collaboration, and the ability to bridge gaps within a campus community. This workshop aims to be interactive, encouraging collaboration, reflection, and strategic thinking. By the end of the session, participants may gain actionable insights and develop a renewed sense of purpose in their leadership roles.

*Story Slam session is addressed to a general audience but may include advanced content. Required or unrequired student leader attendance is at the discretion of organizational leaders & student supervisors. This large session may be advanced for those new to the conversation.

*Highly Recommended for Student Leaders

This workshop focuses on the idea of embodying leadership. Through personal reflections, academic literature, and audience participation, the workshop will lead attendees through a dialogue that highlights the strengths and benefits of leading through a genuine observance of our identity. The workshop will expose some of the individual, cultural, and systemic challenges that inhibit authentically embodying leadership. In short, this workshop will highlight multicultural elements at play when adopting a posture of leading through the fullness of our identity. This workshop is meant to create space to reflect individually, process publicly, learn corporally, and support communally. This time together is meant to be experiential

*Highly Recommended for Student Leaders

Our campuses, and the world around us, continues to become more diverse as is reflected in the demographics of our country and the diverse cultures that surround us. This presents many challenges on Christian college campuses and with the student leaders who serve their student body. In this session student leaders will be given an introduction to a model of cultural values and a spectrum of intercultural communication styles that can be used in building relationships with students from different cultural backgrounds.

*Highly Recommended for Student Leaders

Unconscious bias affects the way we perceive and interact with others, often without us realizing it. This session is essential for anyone looking to foster more inclusive environments, as it will help participants identify and understand their biases and the ways they impact decision-making, relationships, and community dynamics. Recognizing that unconscious bias is a natural part of human cognition—shaped by culture and experiences—allows us to be more intentional in our actions. By reflecting on our own biases, we can take meaningful steps toward creating spaces where all individuals feel valued and included. This session will provide practical tools to increase awareness and promote equity in everyday interactions and organizational settings.

*Highly Recommended for Student Leaders

What makes a great student leader?  Sure, it's important to be “collaborative,” “inclusive,” or a “great communicator."  But if you don't have skills to compassionately interact with students who come from backgrounds and cultures that are different from one another -- and especially from you -- those will just be meaningless hashtags. Come to this workshop to learn vocabulary and frameworks to have better dialogues, to apply action steps in conversations about leadership challenges you face, and most importantly, to become better equipped as an effective servant leader —

America Ferrera stated that her identity as a Latina was a superpower, not a challenge to be overcome. Bicultural identities are formed in the in-between of two or more cultures. Biculturality is often framed by the dominant culture as a liability or a contradiction, causing many bicultural people to view their cultural identity as inherently problematic. This session aims to empower bicultural people by exploring the benefits, blessings and advantages of their bicultural identities.

According to some analysts, the US is more politically divided than it has been since the Civil War. This session asks how followers of Jesus should respond in such volatile times.   Special attention will be paid to how, on the one hand, can we support and defend marginalized communities while at the same time loving those who we see as violating the principles of Jesus in their harmful political actions.

In an era where justice seems to be retreating and reconciliation feels out of reach, how do we as Christians respond? This workshop delves into the timeless wisdom of Ecclesiastes, revealing surprising parallels between ancient struggles and our modern challenges. In this session, we will cover: 1) Practical strategies to maintain hope when progress seems lost; 2) Biblical principles for effective action in the face of normalized injustice; 3) How to tap into unexpected sources of strength when you feel powerless. Join us for an inspiring session that will equip you to stand firm and continue the fight for a just society, even when the odds seem stacked against us.

This seminar explores overcoming hate with love through the use of liberation and contextualized theologies. Participants will reimagine the Holy Spirit as a transformative agent, empowering Christians to confront and dismantle structures of racial oppression and hate faced by marginalized communities. The session highlights the Spirit's role in fostering courage, resilience, and commitment to justice. Attendees will be encouraged to embrace a theology that acknowledges suffering while advocating for love, dignity, and freedom for all the marginalized in the face of injustice.

This interactive mastermind workshop is designed specifically for Inclusive Excellence professionals serving in Christian Higher Education institutions. Through collaborative coaching, peer learning and strategic discussions, participants will explore best practices for fostering inclusive campus cultures while navigating unique challenges and opportunities within faith-based institutions. Attendees will gain actionable insights, build a strong professional network, and leave with tailored strategies to enhance their leadership effectiveness and institutional impact.

*Recommended for student leaders working in diversity specific roles

This presentation aims to empower student leaders with the skills, mindset, and strategies necessary to advocate for meaningful change on their campuses and beyond. Leadership is not just about holding a title but about actively bridging gaps between different groups, perspectives, and resources to create a more inclusive, just, and effective community. Rooted in servant leadership principles and faith-based values, this workshop encourages students to align their advocacy efforts with ethical decision-making and community impact. Effective student leadership goes beyond representation—it requires advocacy, collaboration, and the ability to bridge gaps within a campus community. This workshop aims to be interactive, encouraging collaboration, reflection, and strategic thinking. By the end of the session, participants may gain actionable insights and develop a renewed sense of purpose in their leadership roles.

So often conversations about culture get over-simplified as a black-and-white, racial issue. Some even think "culture" is what others have. This workshop looks at the ways we communicate about our social identities in public. We'll explore race, gender, socioeconomic status, and more, and the ways we as individuals — and society more broadly — make meaning about these diverse aspects of our human experience.

Have you wondered how we can bring about change for our campuses in cultivating a more inclusive environment where all can thrive? Change for the better is a challenge when resources needed are sparse.  In this session come learn about the ABC's of campus coalition building and how it can ignite leaders across campus to work together to share resources and curate creative campus programs/events to bring forth a vision of collective flourishing.

*Highly Recommended for Student Leaders

This workshop focuses on the idea of embodying leadership. Through personal reflections, academic literature, and audience participation, the workshop will lead attendees through a dialogue that highlights the strengths and benefits of leading through a genuine observance of our identity. The workshop will expose some of the individual, cultural, and systemic challenges that inhibit authentically embodying leadership. In short, this workshop will highlight multicultural elements at play when adopting a posture of leading through the fullness of our identity. This workshop is meant to create space to reflect individually, process publicly, learn corporally, and support communally. This time together is meant to be experiential

*Highly Recommended for Student Leaders

Our campuses, and the world around us, continues to become more diverse as is reflected in the demographics of our country and the diverse cultures that surround us. This presents many challenges on Christian college campuses and with the student leaders who serve their student body. In this session student leaders will be given an introduction to a model of cultural values and a spectrum of intercultural communication styles that can be used in building relationships with students from different cultural backgrounds.

*Highly Recommended for Student Leaders

Unconscious bias affects the way we perceive and interact with others, often without us realizing it. This session is essential for anyone looking to foster more inclusive environments, as it will help participants identify and understand their biases and the ways they impact decision-making, relationships, and community dynamics. Recognizing that unconscious bias is a natural part of human cognition—shaped by culture and experiences—allows us to be more intentional in our actions. By reflecting on our own biases, we can take meaningful steps toward creating spaces where all individuals feel valued and included. This session will provide practical tools to increase awareness and promote equity in everyday interactions and organizational settings.

Migration, especially the movement of displaced people, does not just happen; it is produced.  The reception of asylum seekers has been diminishing in the U.S. since the 2000s, the European Union in the 2010s, and Australia in the current decade. This workshop will discuss the global refugee crisis in a socio-historical context with emphases on racial justice and reconciliation.

Jason Cha

Are you good at math? Are you very hard working, but very quiet and polite?  These are all okay because they are “positive stereotypes” right?  WRONG!  This workshop will deconstruct the problematic nature of the model minority MYTH and how this trope is problematic towards collective justice. The API community plays a very unique role in the often “Black-White”race conversation that also impacts our understanding of our own experiences. Oftentimes, Asian Americans are faced with navigating the duality of contrasting stereotypes.  On one hand, Asian Americans are seens as the “model minority”, while simultaneously seen as the “yellow peril” in their own country as demonstrated by the recent rise in anti-Asian hate.  Come and join a presentation and dialogue around making sense of the Asian American identity in a very complex climate of race in the United States.

Are you  passionate about creating a more inclusive word but unsure how to make a real impact? This dynamic workshop will transform your approach to advocacy and influence. Drawing from biblical models, historical civil rights movements, and contemporary examples, you will learn: 1) How to assess your unique context and choose the most effective strategies; 2) Techniques to amplify your voice and inspire others to join the journey toward racial justice; 3) The three distinct “prophetic voices” and how to wield them for maximum impact. Don’t miss this opportunity to sharpen your skills and become a more powerful agent of change in your community. Leave equipped with practical tools to steward your influence and drive meaningful progress in the fight for equality.

Every one of us has biases and blindspots, both personal and cultural, and no one knows these things in our hearts better than our Creator.  There’s also no one that can help us deal with them better than our Redeemer. This session will explore the role that prayer plays in processing our cultural identities, how bringing these issues before God deepens our relationships with Him and with others, and specific spiritual disciplines beneficial to the process.

How can Christian leaders cultivate environments of true belonging? This session will explore cultural humility as a transformative approach to leadership, emphasizing Self-Awareness & Self-Critique, Redressing Power Imbalances, and Organizational Change. By embracing these principles, leaders can model Christ’s servant-hearted love, create equitable spaces, and strengthen their communities in faith and unity. This session will be of benefit to faculty, staff and administrators who work in Christian college and university settings.

We often talk about how divided our communities are and that if we could all just “dialogue” things could be better. While conversation can spark ideas for change, deep relationships are what lead to transformation. College students can easily be caught up in the bubble of their social circle, field of study, or even the microcosm of their own campus. In learning to view both their university as a whole as well as the surrounding community it’s placed in as places to practice presence, neighboring, and relationship building with those who are on the margins, there is an opportunity for students to partner with the Spirit in “seeking the peace and prosperity of the place” they live in. This workshop hopes to root students in both the physical place of their campus/ city, and invite them to move outside of their comfort zone to engage with the forgotten/ marginalized spaces as an act of solidarity and justice whose fruit is deep relationships. These relationships inform our view of the kingdom and an expanded understanding of Jesus’s answer to the question, “and who is my neighbor?” is a key piece of this process.