Creating a Safe Zone at Utica College Contact

Creating a Safe. Zone at Utica College Contact Information: Marissa Finch Office of Residence Life mmfinch@utica. edu Fran Lucia Office of Student Activities flucia@utica. edu

What is a Safe. Zone? A Safe. Zone is a place where all people feel welcome and safe. It may be a room, a car, or an entire college campus. Creating Safe. Zones is a proactive step that schools, agencies and corporations can take to create welcoming, inclusive spaces so that all people are empowered to reach their full potential. (Gay Alliance, www. gayalliance. org)

Creating a Utica College Safe. Zone The goal of establishing a Safe. Zone program at Utica College is to create a supportive and safe environment for all individuals regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression. We do that through: • Increasing our campus community’s knowledge, understanding and awareness about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning/queer (LGBTQ) issues • Enhancing our campus’s sense of community while providing information and resources to individuals in order for them to create their own Safe. Zone in which they can provide a supportive and welcoming environment for others

Levels of Participation in a Safe. Zone Program • Safe. Zone Certified Individuals • These individuals are able to create their own safe space. It can be in their office, in the residence hall room, anywhere they have a quiet, safe, welcoming environment. • These individuals receive stickers to place on their spaces to designate their spaces as a Safe. Zone • These individuals cannot train others to be Safe. Zone certified • Safe. Zone Trainers • These individuals are able to create their own safe space. It can be in their office, in the residence hall room, anywhere they have a quiet, safe, welcoming environment. • These individuals receive stickers to place on their spaces to designate their spaces as a Safe. Zone • These individuals can work together to train individuals to be Safe. Zone certified • These individuals cannot train others to be trainers

Training – the first step to creating a Safe. Zone program at UC! Utica College’s Diversity Committee and a number of other sponsors are bringing the Gay Alliance of Rochester, NY to Utica College on April 18, 2015 for a day-long training session that will train 30 participants to be Safe. Zone Trainers. These 30 participants will then work with Fran and Marissa to train willing Utica College participants (faculty, staff, and students) to be Safe. Zone certified so they can develop their own safe spaces.

How to Become a Trainer • Safe. Zone Train-the-Trainer participants should be fully on board with LGBTQ equality and have a basic knowledge of LGBTQ issues. • 30 participants will be selected to attend the Train-the-Trainer certification. • This participant group will be selected in order to be representative of the whole campus. We will be looking for representatives from a variety of offices, departments and types of participants (students, faculty, staff, etc. ). • Please Note: We can only accept 30 participants for this training. Individuals not selected will be placed on an alternate list and will be offered a position should they become available. Those on the alternate list will also receive the first chance to become Safe. Zone certified once the committee of trainers begins to plan these certification seminars.

Train-the-Trainer Certification at Utica College • The Train-the-Trainer certification program will take place on Saturday, April 18, 2015 in the Boehlert Conference Center from 8: 30 AM- 5: 00 PM. • Chosen participants must commit to being at the certification presentation for the full day. • After being trained, participants in the Safe. Zone Trainer certification program are expected to work as part of a team to create sessions which anybody can attend and become Safe. Zone certified.

Train-the-Trainer Application Process • Apply Here: • All applications are due back to Marissa Finch (mmfinch@Utica. edu) or Fran Lucia (flucia@Utica. edu) by March 20 th. • Selected participants will be notified by March 27 th • Selected participants have until April 3 rd to confirm their attendance. After April 3 rd, their spot will be offered to another individual from the alternate list.

Interested in Becoming Safe. Zone Certified? • Once the Safe. Zone Trainer certification takes place in April, these individuals will work to create sessions in which anybody can attend and become Safe. Zone certified • These training sessions will take place a couple of times a semester to allow for all interested individuals to have the opportunity to become Safe. Zone certified

Questions? Please feel free to contact Marissa or Fran with any questions regarding the Safe. Zone initiative at Utica College! Marissa Finch Office of Residence Life mmfinch@utica. edu (315)223 -2528 Fran Lucia Office of Student Activities flucia@utica. edu (315)792 -3428