Share, Explore, Engage, Discover (SEED) Mini-course

Only incoming MSW students enroll in this mini course. Mini-course Description: This mini course will engage students in meaningful and generative conversations regarding matters of sexual and gender identity, family of choice, community building, social justice, advocacy and policy concerning Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people and communities. Students in this group will share their knowledge, concerns and hopes for LGBTQ individuals and communities, out of which specific themes will emerge. Students will work in smaller groups based on these themes (e.g., safer schools, adoption, etc.). The work for each group includes specific, detailed research and discussions on their chosen theme. Students will identify and collect facts, opinions, statistics and anecdotal data on the theme from books, magazines, interviews, photographs, the Internet, and their conversations. Information collected will be discussed by the groups, followed by an exercise to help them organize the material into coherent sub-themes and illustrations that will be formulated into an artifact. The artifacts will be assembled and displayed with a chance for student presentation and dialogue. Students will obtain specific knowledge about key issues in LGBTQ communities within a diversity and critical intersectionality social justice framework. They will gain practice skills in the area of critical thinking, reflexivity, research, advocacy, policy analysis, and culturally responsive practice.