Student Groups Receive Inclusive Catalyst Grants from BU Office of Diversity & Inclusion

Two Sargent College student groups – Diverse-OT and the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association – and one Sargent faculty member were recipients of the inaugural Inclusive Catalyst Grants from Boston University’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion. Out of a total of seven grant awardees, three recipients were members of the Sargent College community.

Diverse-OT will partner with the Sargent College Interprofessional Education Student Group to host an educational workshop on topics including discrimination on the basis of disability status, recognizing and addressing ableism in the school or workplace, and increasing accessibility in communities. “Recognizing Ableism: A Workshop on Disability, Inclusion, and Empowerment” will be led by trainers from Empowering People for Inclusive Communities (EPIC), an organization that prepares young people with disabilities to be engaged community leaders. The workshop is scheduled to be held on campus in February 2020. Diverse-OT is a graduate student group, mentored by Clinical Assistant Professor Leanne Yinusa-Nyahkoon, which aims to advance the cultural climate within Boston University, Sargent College, and the Department of Occupational Therapy by providing interprofessional opportunities for discussion and education on diversity and inclusion. Diverse-OT believes it is crucial to listen and learn from those with first-person experience and to raise up the voices of people with disabilities in the fight for disability justice.

The BU Chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) will present a screening of the documentary “My Beautiful Stutter” with post-film discussion. NSSLHA is a graduate student group co-sponsored by Sargent College Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences and advised by Clinical Associate Professor Diane Constantino.

In addition, Kaitlin Eldred, a lecturer in the Health Sciences department, was awarded a grant along with the African Student Organization for their project: Tell It Like It Is. This open mic initiative provides a platform to share personal experiences through spoken word, poetry, music, or dance. To “tell it like it is” is to describe the facts of a situation no matter how unpleasant. Two open mic nights scheduled for the Spring 2020 semester are centered around navigating race and beauty standards in the university setting, in Boston, and in the United States. These events, hosted by the Howard Thurman Center, are a platform for students of color to share their experiences as well as a listening and learning opportunity for all students.