nuwsletter | april 2023

Volume 4

our nuwsletter / April 2023

Quote of the month:

“We unlock the benefits of diversity by allowing, permitting, and embracing dissent.”

— Todd Kashdan

nuws:

Check out pictures and our video recap from The Black Experience, our holistic celebration of Vermont’s Black lived experience, held on February 25th!

Our Founder Emiliano with the UVM Medical Center Team before we teamed up to offer free community health screenings!

Poet Jolivette Anderson-Downing during her performance at BX

Poet Brittany "Beamer" Morgan Wallace during her performance at BX

Angela Davis and Tricia Brown during their Fireside Discussion

Philadanco performers

nu-education:

Neurodiversity Celebration Week took place from March 13-19. This week is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurodiversity and celebrated neurodivergent people.. Neurodiversity is defined by the Cleveland Clinic as "the unique ways people’s brains work” and being  "neurodivergent" means to have a brain that works differently from the average or “neurotypical” person. However, both terms are umbrella turns and include conditions such as:

• Autism spectrum disorder

• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder 

• Down syndrome

• Dyscalculia

• Dysgraphia 

• Dyslexia 

• Dyspraxia

• Intellectual disabilities

• Bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder

• Prader-Willi syndrome

• Sensory processing disorders

• Social anxiety (a specific type of anxiety disorder)

• Tourette syndrome

• Williams syndrome

Though Neurodiversity Celebration Week has passed, it is important to be inclusive of all folks year-round. Here are some ways to be inclusive of neurodiverse folks:

• Be willing to listen

• Communicate in ways that are helpful to them

• Be accommodating to their needs

• Avoid labels and assumptions - neurodivergence can present itself in different ways

• Be respectful

nu-spotlight:

We’ll be sharing ongoing highlights and updates in this section of the nuwsletter. This month, we are excited to share some of the DEI resources we’ve added or will be adding to our learning journey. 

• 8 Ways to Be Inclusive During Ramadan - Ramadan began on March 24; Use this LinkedIn article to learn more about how to accommodate Muslim friends during this month

• Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams - An academic paper on team psychological safety and its impact on earning and performance in organizational work teams

Check out our previous nuwsletter for other resources in our spotlight section!

• April 8 - The Poetry Experience

  • Sat, April 8, 2023, 1:00 PM- 3:00 PM

  • Fletcher Free Library, 235 College Street Burlington, VT, 05401

  • FREE!

  • This is a recurring event, see more dates here

• April 11 - An Archeological History of Chittenden County

  • Tue, Apr 11, 2023, 7:00 PM EDT

  • Charlotte Library 115 Ferry Road Charlotte, VT 05445

  • FREE

  • Registration Link

• April 18 - Tree Planting Event

  • Tue, April 18, 2023, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT

  • Ethan Allen Homestead Museum and Historic Site 1 Ethan Allen Homestead Burlington, VT 05408

  • FREE

  • Registration Link

• April 21 - Burlington: Free Fresh Veggies

  • Fri, Apr 21, 2023, 10:00 AM EDT

  • Intervale Center: 180 Intervale Road Burlington, VT 05401

Download a copy of the nuwsletter here