Spend an afternoon practicing changemaking. Faculty, staff members, community partners, and students have created activities specifically showcasing their work, and invite you to join. Check out the sessions in each category below and register for your favorite one. You can sign up on your USD app as well under the Events section.
Nothing Bundt Feminism
Nothing Bundt Feminism invites community members to engage in thoughtful dialogue about feminism, feminist issues, and social justice. Modeled after feminist consciousness-raising groups, this discussion invites participants to learn about how systems of power are perpetuated and explores strategies to create positive social change. This is a chance to connect with your peers as well as USD's Women's Commons and the work we do. Participants get to learn about themselves and one another in this informal dialogue around internalized sexism. Students of all genders are invited to come share their experiences, listen to others, and enjoy bundt cake!
LOCATION: University Center 107
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Opening Dialogue, Promoting Social Change
Movements to promote social change require people, and conversations. In this workshop, we'll explore the ways that you can create an open environment for discussion and how to secure buy-in from other people.
LOCATION: Garden of the Sea
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Your Seat at the Table
Are you looking to get involved with certain initiatives, but don't know how to get a seat at the table? During this workshop, you'll discover opportunities that excite you and take the first steps to making your involvement a reality. We'll start with examples of opportunities to get the ideas flowing, research target opportunities for you, then begin the outreach process for getting your seat at the table.
LOCATION: Mother Rosalie Hill Hall 102
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So You Want to Talk About White Privilege?
During this session, participants will be able to engage in reflection and dialogue about understanding and recognizing white privilege and white behavioral patterns. Participants will have an opportunity to explore their own socialization and critically reflect on themselves and their actions as it pertains to whiteness. We will also begin discuss how we can identify, unpack, and, confront racism in in society, at USD, and within ourselves. While open to all students, this session is specifically designed for students who identify as white.
LOCATION: Learning Commons 202
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Applying Identity to Professional Life
Changemakers come from diverse backgrounds and identities, so how do those aspects of us affect how we approach changemaking? This workshop aims to explore and discuss the nuances of our identity and how they plays out in our academic and professional life. Join for conversations and introspective reflection on how we can leverage aspects of our identity to be effective Changemakers!
LOCATION: Learning Commons 206
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Lavender Crafts: LGBTQ+ Rights and Art
Lavender Crafts is a space for all folks who are passionate about activism, LGBTQ+ justice and being creative! We invite you to join us in creating art and discussing queer justice, and becoming a change-maker at USD.
LOCATION: Saints Hall 104B
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Freedom Dreaming: Arts, Culture, and Radical Imagination
Art and culture are powerful means of building empathy, creating a sense of belonging, and activating the social imagination and civic agency necessary to make real change. When we feel seen, when we know that our stories and imaginations matter, we are more likely to bring our full creative selves to the work of social change. That not only makes our work more effective, we have more fun. In this session, participants will explore the changemaking framework of cultural strategy and offer creative responses to a variety of prompts and provocations relating to justice, power, and identity.
LOCATION: Camino Hall 158
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Take a Hike (Changemaking and the Outdoors)
PLEASE BRING WALKING SHOES, A WATER BOTTLE, WEAR A HAT AND SUNSCREEN! Come hike through Tecolote Canyon, right on our backyard! Learn more about USD's opportunities to be sustainable at a personal and local level as well as gain insight from local alumni to enjoy all that San Diego's ecosystem has to offer. Please wear close toe shoes, a hat and bring water!
LOCATION: Meet at the front of the Student Life Pavilion (by the dining hall)
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Become an Environmental Advocate: Promoting Sustainability and Climate Awareness at USD
Become a Climate Advocate: Are you concerned about climate change, plastic waste, habitat loss, or our unsustainable food system? If so, you're not alone! In this session, students will learn about USD's commitment to "Care for Our Common Home" and the opportunities for students to engage with issues related to climate change, sustainability and environmental justice at USD and in our local community.
LOCATION: Saints Hall 211
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Viewing the Whole Problem and Finding Your Place in the Solution
As Changemakers, many of the problems we tackle are systemic. How can we think systemically? And, once we are thinking systemically, how do we find our place in the solution? In this interactive workshop, we will explore systemic thinking, discuss how we can identify the gaps we fill as changemakers, and discover ways of evaluating our effectiveness.
LOCATION: Strata Plaza (Patio/Grassy Area behind Shiley Hall)
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Yoga and The Practice of Changemaking - Mind, Body, and Soul
PLEASE BRING COMFORTABLE CLOTHES AND WATER, WE HAVE MATS FOR YOU OR YOU CAN CHOOSE TO BRING YOUR OWN.
The Practice Changemaking is rigorous and requires discipline, adaptability, and deep self-awareness. In order to build the capacity and fortitude required to be a Changemaker we believe it is important to create a holistic practice that encompasses mind, body, and soul. This session will include an active 1hr VINYASA YOGA FLOW. If you already have a strong yoga practice, you will have the opportunity to learn how to integrate it into Changemaking. If you are new to yoga, it will be a great opportunity to learn a new physical practice that can keep you tethered to other parts of your life. This session is designed to link both a physical and reflective practice to your work as a Changemaker.
LOCATION: Immaculata Lawn (accross from Aroma's)
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Exploring Social Identities and Connections to Leadership
During our time together, we will explore our social identities and how they intersect by creating a personal constellation. We will also explore the connections between our social identities and how these connect to leadership for ourselves and others. Lastly, we will learn about a tool to help identify the wealth within us and others.
LOCATION: Student Life Pavilion 418 (UFMC)
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Self-Care for Changemaking (Session 1)
In order to be great Changemakers, we need to prioritize caring for ourselves so that we can extend the same support to others. Just as on an airplane, when we are told to secure our own breathing masks before securing others', we need to take the same approach to caring for our minds, bodies and souls in order to care for others. Changemaking can be taxing on an individual level so we must learn ways to practice self-care as a means of fueling our well-being and not just fixing it when things feel out of balance.Through this session, we will discuss what self-care is, strategize ways to care for yourself, set self-care goals, and identify signs for when we are not at our best. We will discuss individual and cultural barriers that can impede self-care and ways to create a community supportive of self-care. We will also explore specific opportunities on-campus and in the community for healthy self-care and then participants will have the opportunity to practice one strategy for self-care by selecting to end with a guided meditation, mindful coloring, journaling session, or contributing to a community art piece.
LOCATION: Tecolote Patio (Next to the Torero Hub)
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Self-Care for Changemaking (Session 2)
In order to be great Changemakers, we need to prioritize caring for ourselves so that we can extend the same support to others. Just as on an airplane, when we are told to secure our own breathing masks before securing others', we need to take the same approach to caring for our minds, bodies and souls in order to care for others. Changemaking can be taxing on an individual level so we must learn ways to practice self-care as a means of fueling our well-being and not just fixing it when things feel out of balance.Through this session, we will discuss what self-care is, strategize ways to care for yourself, set self-care goals, and identify signs for when we are not at our best. We will discuss individual and cultural barriers that can impede self-care and ways to create a community supportive of self-care. We will also explore specific opportunities on-campus and in the community for healthy self-care and then participants will have the opportunity to practice one strategy for self-care by selecting to end with a guided meditation, mindful coloring, journaling session, or contributing to a community art piece.
LOCATION: Student Life Pavillion (SLP) 3rd Floor Patio
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Self-Care for Changemaking (Session 3)
In order to be great Changemakers, we need to prioritize caring for ourselves so that we can extend the same support to others. Just as on an airplane, when we are told to secure our own breathing masks before securing others', we need to take the same approach to caring for our minds, bodies and souls in order to care for others. Changemaking can be taxing on an individual level so we must learn ways to practice self-care as a means of fueling our well-being and not just fixing it when things feel out of balance.Through this session, we will discuss what self-care is, strategize ways to care for yourself, set self-care goals, and identify signs for when we are not at our best. We will discuss individual and cultural barriers that can impede self-care and ways to create a community supportive of self-care. We will also explore specific opportunities on-campus and in the community for healthy self-care and then participants will have the opportunity to practice one strategy for self-care by selecting to end with a guided meditation, mindful coloring, journaling session, or contributing to a community art piece.
LOCATION: Plaza de San Diego (in front of Maher Hall)
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Podcasting for Change
Storytelling is one of our most powerful tools in motivating social change. This session will provide basic training in storytelling and how to capture stories using podcasting equipment. You will be placed in groups and work with peers to capture each other's stories related to a struggle or challenge you experience and are working through (for example, one that has emerged during your transition to college). You will learn about a variety of storytelling initiatives on campus, and your collected stories may be used in the Humanities Center and Changemaker Hub podcast: There's More.
LOCATION: Humanities Center
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We were all born with natural gifts as time passes, we start covering those inner gifts with doubts, fear, and anxiety for the future. In this session, students will do an activity where they remember and brainstorm those gifts that they were born with. Bianca will share examples of how her inner talents (that she was born with) have impacted all the social projects that she has been involved with such as Baja Urban, Social Fabric Initiative, and more recently, Casa Azul Productions.
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Design Your Best Life at USD
workshop will invite participants to think critically about their beliefs concerning the purpose of the college. Participants will have the opportunity to critique how parents, peers, and society regard the importance of a college education. Most importantly, participants will be given time to articulate their own beliefs; to identify their values; and to learn how to design a purposeful college experience.
LOCATION: Learning Commons 103
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Thinking of starting a company, but don't know where to start? Come hear from Sam Pantazopulous, 2017 alumni and founder of the Vizer app.
LOCATION: University Center 103AB
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Chase After Change Scavenger Hunt
Get your walking shoes on and explore social change opportunities and initiatives across campus.
LOCATION: Colachis Plaza (in front of the Immaculata)
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This session will engage new students in some community building practices through the use of a Restorative Justice Circle/Circles. Participants will explore typical challenges that are encountered during the transition to a new place and making new friends. The proposed session will allow for idea sharing and brainstorming possible other approaches using restorative practices. Utilizing a Circle format will provide an opportunity for all to share and all to listen. Circles will be facilitated by trained RJ Facilitators. Students will be invited to apply for the Student Conduct Leadership Team and to participate in a future Restorative Justice training.
LOCATION: Paseo de Colachis
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USD Votes: Recall, Registration, and Voter Engagement
This session will allow students to register to vote, gain knowledge about voter regulations, and learn how to stay civically engaged as a college students. Additionally, students will gain information on California's gubernatorial recall election and voting rights in general.
LOCATION: Learning Commons 209
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Taking Action to Address Homelessness
In this session, students will learn about the issue of homelessness and how those who are experiencing homelessness in San Diego are treated. Using the first-hand accounts of those who have experienced homelessness, students will have the opportunity to discuss with each other how our local community should respond to this crisis
LOCATION: Saints Hall 217
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Working Together to Stop Human Trafficking
USD has been working with community partners on innovative approaches and policies to prevent human trafficking, and protect survivors. This interactive workshop will focus on how you can get involved with anti-trafficking efforts and what you can do to help develop innovative solutions to address human trafficking. It will emphasize the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in these efforts.
LOCATION: Saints Hall 204
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STEAM Outreach: Facilitating Engagement with the Wider San Diego K-12 Community
Participating USD students will explore some of the issues that lead to inequitable access to STEAM education in San Diego, and the resulting experiences of those most impacted. Students will then lean about a few key programs available at USD for engaging students that want to pursuing changemaking to address education inequity, and engage in a hands-on activity that models this types of work. Students will also receive information on next steps they could take if they were interested in taking their changemaking passion to the next level.
LOCATION: Belanich Engineering Center - Ideation Space
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From Purpose to Impact
Your purpose is who you are and what makes you distinctive. Leadership purpose springs from your identity, the essence of who you are. In this session you will create a purpose-to-impact motto through interactive activities - it's not what you do, it’s how you do it and why!
LOCATION: Maher Hall 207
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Think Dignity: Hands on Activism and Advocacy with the Homeless
USD's community partner, Think Dignity, will be on campus with their mobile showers unit which serves people experiencing homelessness in San Diego. Come learn about their work which is focused on inspiring, empowering, and organizing our community to advance basic dignity for those living on the streets.
LOCATION:Cardinal Van Thuận Plaza (In Front of Torero Store)
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Patagonia, Poster Fairs, and Postmates: Is “Spendship” Needed to Achieve Friendship?
It’s Day 3 and we all already have more questions than we thought possible: Where is the best place to get Thai food in San Diego? Wait, what are Twin XL sheets? Will my roommates also like watching reruns of The Office non-stop before it goes off Netflix? All of these questions are rooted in our innate desire to connect with others and make this new environment one where we can thrive. The interactive session will examine the ways in which financial spending is associated with belonging or fitting in with others.
LOCATION: Saints Hall 312
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Turning Wheels @ Chicano Park
Join a short field trip to the Chicano Park, a designated National Historic Landmark and symbol of latino culture and activism. During the field trip, the Turning Wheel Project will engage USD students around the topics of diversity, inclusion, and social justice in a workshop centered around around place and self determination.
BUS PICKUP: Find your field trip bus next to Copley Library. Staff will be present to make sure that you get on the correct bus.
LUNCH: All food provided will be vegetarian. If you have any other dietary preferences or restrictions, please plan to pack your own lunch or to eat when the field trip returns.
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Ryan Bros Coffee: Life is too short to be bitter
Join a short field trip visiting USD's partner Ryan Bros Coffee (founded by USD alumni) and learn more about their fair trade initiative and innovative business model. Located in Barrio Logan, a historically and culturally rich neighborhood.
BUS PICKUP: Find your field trip bus next to Copley Library. Staff will be present to make sure that you get on the correct bus.
LUNCH: All food provided will be vegetarian. If you have any other dietary preferences or restrictions, please plan to pack your own lunch or to eat when the field trip returns.
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Pancakes: Serving up Hope - Compassion in Action
Pancakes originated as a student-led initiative at University of San Diego and it continues to grow and expand its outreach with the support of the Changemaker Hub. Join a short field trip to learn how Pancakes aims to begin humanizing folks experiencing homelessness in San Diego.
BUS PICKUP: Find your field trip bus next to Copley Library. Staff will be present to make sure that you get on the correct bus.
LUNCH: All food provided will be vegetarian. If you have any other dietary preferences or restrictions, please plan to pack your own lunch or to eat when the field trip returns.
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A PATH Home
Join a short field trip to learn how PATH Homeless Services is dedicated to helping individuals, families, and communities end their homelessness. PATH San Diego helps people find permanent housing and provides services to helm them maintain their homes stably.
BUS PICKUP: Find your field trip bus next to Copley Library. Staff will be present to make sure that you get on the correct bus.
LUNCH: All food provided will be vegetarian. If you have any other dietary preferences or restrictions, please plan to pack your own lunch or to eat when the field trip returns.
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Fair@44: Local Businesses Making an Impact
Fair@44 is a not-for-profit project of the City Heights Economic Development Collaborative. Join a short field trip to learn how Fair@44 serves as a business incubator for local micro-entrepreneurs that are looking to expand their food or craft business and grow their customer base.
BUS PICKUP: Find your field trip bus next to Copley Library. Staff will be present to make sure that you get on the correct bus.
LUNCH: All food provided will be vegetarian. If you have any other dietary preferences or restrictions, please plan to pack your own lunch or to eat when the field trip returns.
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Urban Corps: A Bridge to a Better life
Join a short field trip to learn about one of USD's community partners, Urban Corps Charter School, and see how they are addressing young people's needs for a high-school education, job training, and community service.
BUS PICKUP: Find your field trip bus next to Copley Library. Staff will be present to make sure that you get on the correct bus.
LUNCH: All food provided will be vegetarian. If you have any other dietary preferences or restrictions, please plan to pack your own lunch or to eat when the field trip returns.
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New Americans Museum: Understanding America Through a Modern Day Lens
Join a short field trip to learn how the New Americans Museum combats intolerance and racism by educating, celebrating and honoring America’s diversity and immigrant contributions. Cultivating mutual understanding, tolerance and respect are essential both for a more just society and for addressing and eradicating prejudice and bias in our communities.
BUS PICKUP: Find your field trip bus next to Copley Library. Staff will be present to make sure that you get on the correct bus.
LUNCH: All food provided will be vegetarian. If you have any other dietary preferences or restrictions, please plan to pack your own lunch or to eat when the field trip returns.
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Exploring Linda Vista: Welcome to your New Community
Join us for a drive around the Linda Vista neighborhood and explore one of the most diverse neighborhoods in San Diego. Learn about USD’s changemaking initiatives in the local community and the value of being part of Linda Vista. Meet at Law/Maher circle tram stop to catch a tram.
BUS PICKUP: Find your field trip bus next to Copley Library. Staff will be present to make sure that you get on the correct bus.
LUNCH: All food provided will be vegetarian. If you have any other dietary preferences or restrictions, please plan to pack your own lunch or to eat when the field trip returns.
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Visit Casa Misericordia and Community Resource Center in Barrio Logan to learn more about the fabric of San Diego's immigrant community and how the Catholic Faith is contributing to the wellbeing of immigrants and asylum seekers in the region.
BUS PICKUP: Find your field trip bus next to Copley Library. Staff will be present to make sure that you get on the correct bus.
LUNCH: All food provided will be vegetarian. If you have any other dietary preferences or restrictions, please plan to pack your own lunch or to eat when the field trip returns.
Register for this session