The Cultural Bridges Certificate offers a series of trainings to students, staff, and faculty to expand their awareness, knowledge, and skills related to effectively serving students and stakeholders with a broad variety of experiences and backgrounds. The workshops offered are organized in to two levels and are open to all MSU students, staff, and faculty.  You may complete any individual workshop on its own or you may choose to work towards a certificate. The requirements are outlined below for those who want to earn their certificate.

Cultural Bridges Certificate Offerings

Stay tuned for fall 2025 workshop offerings.

 

For questions related to the Cultural Bridges certificate program or upcoming workshops, contact Mariah Hill at hill@montana.edu or 994-4531.

**NOTE FOR FACULTY** To receive credit for participation in Cultural Bridges workshops, faculty should download and complete Request Center Credit Form and submit to the Center for Faculty Excellence at cfe@montana.edu. Forms should be submitted immediately after attendance rather than all at one time.

Level 1: Cultural Bridges - Foundations of Culture

The Level 1 Foundations course offerings include three workshops that introduce participants to some fundamental concepts related to reflecting and connecting with others across differences.  The workshops include didactic lecture, self-reflection, small and large group discussion, and experiential activities.  These workshops would be useful for people wanting to:

  • gain an introductory knowledge base on the topics identified in the workshops
  • engage in deeper self-reflection to further self-understanding related to one’s cultural identities
  • connect, engage, and learn more about other MSU community members related to cultural identity, and
  • practice cultural humility skills. 

To earn a Level 1 certificate, attend DIV 100, DIV 110, and DIV 120. 

Level 2: Cultural Bridges - Dimensions of Cultural Identity

The Level 2 Dimensions of Cultural Identity series offers workshops that focus more specifically on different social group identities. Workshops may include didactic lecture, self-reflection, small and large group discussion, experiential activities, and/or panel presenters. These workshops would be useful for people wanting to: 

  • explore and learn more deeply about different intersectional dimensions of cultural identity
  • engage in self-reflection to further self-understanding related to the socialization process along these dimensions of identity as it relates to one’s cultural lens, and
  • connect, engage, and learn more about other MSU community members related to these aspects of cultural identity. 

The specific courses offered for Level 2 may vary from year to year.  Those wishing to earn their certificate for Level 2 will need to complete workshops from FOUR different identity dimensions offered.

Level 2: Workshop Descriptions

In this workshop, participants will learn some basics about signs, symptoms, and prevalence of mental health disorders, as well as some prevailing cultural beliefs that contribute to stigma or barriers to help-seeking. Through discussion, self-reflective, and group activities, participants will explore these factors as well as learn skills for how to support and refer someone to campus or community resources.

In this workshop, the concepts of race, ethnicity, racism, racial and ethnic identity and anti-racism will be explored.  Participants will engage in self-reflection to expand their understanding of their racial identity development as well as personal experience of racial socialization.  Participants will also explore racial microaggressions as these relate to their experience at MSU.  The workshop will conclude with review of developing a racialized lens and practice applying this skill in one’s role at MSU.

In this workshop, participants will explore the concept of generational identity; review the 5 current generations in the United States; and identify some of the associated historical events, figures, and presumed characteristics of each generation.  Individuals will also explore their generational identity and personal biases that may be held with regard to other generations.  The workshop will conclude with skill development focused on engaging across the generations to apply in their role at MSU.

Participants will learn about Veterans Services and its services to students at MSU, trends in the post 9/11 era, and how these trends are affecting the veteran student body at MSU. A student panel of Veterans and dependents will provide an opportunity to hear and learn directly about student experiences. Participants will also complete a military beliefs self-assessment to increase awareness of their perceptions and learn how to support the intellectual and personal growth of our student Veterans better.

During this workshop, an interfaith panel discussion will explore questions relating to what is held sacred; religious and spiritual practices, beliefs, and biases; and the skills that support interfaith connections.  Participants will also have the opportunity to engage in critical self-reflection and exploration related to religion and spirituality, areas of bias related to this aspect of cultural identity, and how awareness of this aspect of cultural identity in others is beneficial at MSU.

During this workshop, participants will learn about systemic body size discrimination. There will be a particular focus on ways this impacts individuals within education systems. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in critical self-reflection and exploration regarding weight, body size, and related areas of bias. Additionally, this workshop will provide opportunity to increase acceptance and consider ways to enact change within MSU and the broader community.

In this workshop, participants will consider the concept of disability and its classifications, reflect on their socialization of ability and disability, and explore ableist bias and microaggressions.  More affirmative and inclusive practices as it relates to ability status will be reviewed and participants will have an opportunity to consider ways to implement these in their work at MSU.

This online course offering provides training to expand people’s understanding of the diverse American Indian people of Montana.  It includes background information on Indian Education for All, introduces Montana tribal nations, explores tribal nation educational resource material, and addresses frequently asked questions about Montana’s American Indian people. http://www.montana.edu/iefa/ 

**Note**  Completion of this course is tracked separately for university reporting as all MSU staff and faculty are asked to complete the IEFA online training.  As such, those seeking credit towards their Level 2 DID certificate with the IEFA course should email Terry at: terry.bishop@montana.edu after completing it and he will confirm it in the tracking system.

For more information on the Safe Zone program, upcoming workshop dates, and workshop descriptions, visit this link:  Safe Zone Program.

**NOTE** Only one Safe Zone workshop may be used toward earning your Level 2 certificate. Due to documentation and tracking constraints, Safe Zone workshops will only count towards the Level 2 certificate if they were completed after January 1, 2020.