NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) – Just as every cloud has a silver lining, the global pandemic has created the opportunity for (and revealed the necessity of) positive change. Individuals and family groups have felt the tug of new possibilities in work schedules, cooking and eating habits, as well as education. Businesses have been swiftly ushered into a world of contactless payment and curbside pickups. For DOOR (Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection), this virus-powered sea change brought the potential to expand its programs through new webinars, virtual experiences, and social media.
DOOR’s newest virtual venture is the DOOR Teaching Collective; a series of eight webinars, teach-ins and workshops hosted by educators, artists, and community leaders connected to the organization. The topics span a wide range of subjects including self-care, poetry creation, cultural humility, and biases in foster care. DOOR is a partner organization of Mennonite Mission Network.
The first webinar, Intentional Self-Care As Resistance, is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19 from 10am-11am CDT. Click here to register. A suggested donation of $25 per webinar is requested.
"We’re bringing together a diverse group of voices to talk about relevant and important topics that we’re facing in our world," said Andrea Sawyer-Kirksey, Executive Director of DOOR. "Historically, women of color have been at the forefront of a lot of systemic and organizational change, but haven’t always been given the credit for their work. That’s why we’re centering their voices in our space."
The webinar series is designed for both individuals and small groups or Sunday School classes to watch together and discuss. The webinars will be accessible through DOOR’s website after their live air date.
"We want to put good content in the world, and bring healing to folks," said Sawyer-Kirksey. "This is what DOOR’s mission is about, and we’re living into that."
Teaching Collective Webinar Schedule:
8/19 Intentional Self-Care As Resistance Amy Kim Kyremes-Parks
8/26 Trauma At The Intersection Of Race And Gender Micah Rose Emerson & Rev. Lindsey Anderson
9/3 Cultural Humility Andrea Sawyer-Kirksey & Amy Kim Kyremes-Parks
9/10 Finding Your Voice Through Poetry Pam Blair
9/17 White Adjacent Survival Andrea Sawyer-Kirksey & Rev. Lindsey Anderson
9/24 TBD
9/31 Taken: The New Jane Crow Micah Rose Emerson
10/7 Post-Election Women Of Color Talk Back DOOR Teaching Collective
*Please note that while not expected, DOOR might reschedule or substitute speakers and/or topics, based on speaker availability or technical difficulties.
For more information and to register for the first webinar, click here. To receive updates on upcoming DOOR Teaching Collective webinars, follow DOOR on Facebook.
