Putting diversity into practice is an important skill for effective leaders.
To provide training in leadership theories and diversity management, the College of Online and Experiential Learning and the College of Business partnered with the Proud Professionals Network, a Google-funded collaborative, to offer the Leadership and Diversity Academy.
This professional development opportunity was offered in-person and online at sessions in September and October and attended by participants from Discover Card, the State of Delaware, Cumberland County Community College, and Wilmington University. Dr. Lemar T. White, global compliance manager at Google and Wilmington University adjunct instructor, worked with the COEL to develop and deliver the in-person and online sessions.
The Academy featured presentations from several leadership and diversity experts. Sarah McBride, a Delaware native and national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, visited WilmU to record an interview for the Academy. In the video, she speaks about her work as an activist for LGBTQ rights and the first transgender speaker at the Democratic National Convention in 2016.
Training provides participants with diversity management and awareness of LGBTQ issues as they apply to organizations. The Academy includes a lecture series, online learning activities, and an experiential component in which students put their new knowledge into practice within their communities.