For over 45 years, REACH (Respecting Ethnic and Cultural Heritage), has provided education and training programs to organizations across the globe that are committed to enhancing multicultural education. Through evidence-based training programs, events, and conferences, we ensure organizations continue to learn, acknowledge, and act to create an inclusive learning environment. One of the most recent events REACH has sustained during 2023 was the Cultural Stories Webinar series. REACH Cultural Stories (RCS) was created to engage our audience with different cultural backgrounds in the community and learn from others’ experiences, both personally and professionally. This webinar series showcases individuals within our community that work to create more inclusive and equitable cultures within our communities and workplaces.
We have had the privilege of speaking with a plethora of representatives from various industries who have volunteered their time to educate our audience on their experiences, both personally and professionally. REACH chose to make this a webinar series to expand out bandwidth and connect with people outside of our Colorado headquarters. We were able to touch a national network of speakers and attendees and hope to make 2024 a global experience for our followers. The 2023 set list included:
Diversity Month with Dr. Ashlee Saddler, the Director of Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Education for Aurora Public School.
Women’s History Month with Natela Manuntseva, VP of Business Development at Black Diamond Outreach.
Mental Health Awareness Month with Mariette Clardy-Davis, Mental Health Advocate for Female Legal Professionals & Founder of M.L. Clardy LLC, and Quang Trang, Associate General Counsel at Allina Health and Wellness & Mental Health Advocate.
Pride Month with Wesley Thomas, LGBTQ+ & Sexual Health Program Manager at DCPS, and Alex Vaughan, Host of the “How To Be Queer” podcast.
Veteran Appreciation with Josh Jabin, COO of the Travis Manion Foundation, and Lloyd Felix, Regional Director of Family Dollar & Army Veteran.
International Perspectives with Sonica Dixon, Immigration / Labor & Employment Attorney, and Sam Ogah, Founder of the Colorado African Cultural Center & Technology Executive.
Disability Employment Awareness Month with Kevin Wake, President of the Uriel E. Owens Sickle Cell Disease Association of the Midwest.
As we approach 2024 and indulge deeper into our networks, we will be exploring new topics in the webinar series. Our tentative topics for RCS 2024 are:
January: Asian Heritage Month
February: Black History Month
March: History of Women in Art & Music
April: Earth / Sustainability Month
May: Teacher Appreciation
June: Immigrant Experiences
July: Accessibility to Self-Care (HR)
August: National Nonprofit Day (8/17)
September: Hispanic Heritage Month
October: LGBTQ+ History Month
November: Hunger & Homelessness Awareness
December: Giving Month
Thank you to all of our 2023 speakers! Your stories touched the lives of our national listeners and you have made the first go-about of Cultural Stories a hit. We look forward to 2024 and learning more from our communities. If you know someone who may be interested in being a featured speaker for one of our 2024 topics, please send us an inquiry via our website “Contact Us” button. Cheers to the end of a great year celebrating Cultural Stories!