Greetings from the Wei LAB! We hope that everyone had an enjoyable Fourth of July filled with fireworks and festivities. While summer is still in full swing, plans for the upcoming International Colloquium on Blacks Males in Education from October 3-6, 2017, are coming together. The theme for this year’s Colloquium is “The Black Male Mosaic: Unpacking Divergent Experiences in Global Education.”
For this year’s 6th annual colloquium, there are many things to look forward to. Here are the top five things to get excited about for #ICBME17:
1) The Location
The colloquium this year will be held in Toronto, Canada. Did you know that Toronto is considered to be one of the most multicultural cities in the world? In fact, 47% of Toronto citizens consider themselves to be part of a visible minority. Toronto’s diverse population makes it a unique and fitting location for this year’s colloquium. As we talked about in our last post, Toronto’s diversity doesn’t mean the city is free of racial injustices and inequalities. The demographics of Toronto make it a fitting place to bring together policy makers, researchers, thought leaders, and concerned citizens to address issues that are relevant both at local and national levels.
2) Pre-Colloquium
Before the actual colloquium program begins, the ICBME has a tradition of hosting a pre-colloquium to reach out and engage constituents (e.g., parents, community organizers, students) that might not normally participate in a research gathering, but can greatly benefit from learning how research can empower them to work with Black males in education. Pre-Colloquium activities include: a policy round-table discussion; colloquium conversations open to the local community that cultivate conversations relevant to Black males in Education; the College Academy (a college readiness workshop); and finally a Graduate School Academy (a higher education workshop). The Colloquium leadership actively fundraise to ensure these Pre-Colloquium activities are available at no cost to participants.
3) Warrior Awards
The ICBME’s Warrior Award is an international distinction given to individuals who have provided longstanding service, commitment, and leadership focused on the “most difficult” challenges impacting Black males in education globally. As with previous colloquiums, the Warrior Awards this year will be given to individuals who have tirelessly fought for what they viewed as right for Black males, thus demonstrating the “warrior spirit.”
4) Culture Immersion Tour
Plans for the annual Culture Immersion Tour as part of #ICBME17 are underway. The purpose of this tour is to provide opportunities that extend beyond institutional boundaries and international borders. Participants at the Colloquium will be exposed to historical and cultural experiences related to important social movements and activism in Toronto through international immersion tours. For a look at what culture immersion tours have been like at previous colloquiums, click here.
5) Sharing Research and Perspectives
Ultimately, the goal of #ICBME17 is to serve as a space to exchange ideas and perspectives concerning the global dynamics of Black males in the educational pipeline. Colloquium participants are encouraged to discuss the wide range of educational issues that arise across the educational pipeline, as well as share ideas and innovative practices in different disciplinary fields that take into consideration how forces such as globalization and the internationalization of education affect the educational trajectories of Black males. If you are interested in sharing your research on topics related to Black males in education, check out our invitation to participate for information on how to get involved. Proposals are still being accepted for the colloquium until July 10th.
What are you most looking forward to for #ICBME17? Let us know in the comments!
We hope to see you at the 2017 Colloquium, held in Toronto in October, 2017. Please head over to the Colloquium website now to learn more about the event. You can also follow us on Twitter: @_icbme and look for our hashtag: #ICBME17. To keep up to date on all the latest Wei LAB news, subscribe to our newsletter.
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[…] take place in Toronto, Canada. As we mentioned before, there are many aspects of #ICBME17 to look forward to, and today the keynote speakers join the list of reasons why this year’s colloquium will be […]