Safe Zone Training Project Administered by UWG

Carolyn Moncrieffe

UWG’s Center for Student Involvement and Inclusion is offering students and faculty several sessions of Safe Zone training, a workshop built to teach students about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer identities, gender and sexuality this fall. The training includes workshops that explain and clarify common vocabulary on LGBTQ+ issues, activities and lectures which create a space for open dialogue where students can examine prejudices as well as discuss ideas of privilege, bias, and identity. The workshops allow students to address any questions they may have about the LGBTQ+ community. The next scheduled date for Safe Zone training for students is Monday, October 9th, 2023, between 12 and 2 pm.  

“I want to create spaces where students can ask questions without judgment and learn from their experiences,” said Samantha Lapier Dennis, Director of Inclusion for The Center for Student Involvement and Inclusion. “I participated in Safe Zone during my undergraduate years and after I completed the training, I requested to co-lead the Safe Zone training for other students. I am invested in creating more brave spaces for all students.”     

Safe Zone training has proven effective and beneficial to the UWG student body.  “Safe Zone opens opportunities for students to ask questions and enhance their cultural competence,” said Dennis. “Students have expressed a better understanding of self-identities and allyship once Safe Zone training is complete.”

“Safe Zone training helped me understand the pronouns used within the LGBTQ+ community and strengthened my knowledge and relationships with those who use different pronouns,” adds Tonnia Collins, UWG Resident Assistant who completed the training. All UWG Resident Assistants are required to be Safe Zone trained.

The general student body can register for Safe Zone training by scanning the QR code on a promotional flier soon to be released. The training is approximately two hours long. There is no registration fee required for Safe Zone training. Training can also be requested by groups of five or more students by reaching out to Dennis, at slapier@westga.edu, who will schedule a time and date for group training. The program will be continued in spring 2024.In addition, The Center for Student Involvement and Inclusion is collaborating with various organizations and departments to host a Mini-Pride Week October 9-11. Mini Pride Week events include Safe Zone Training on Monday, October 9^th, the Love In Color 80s-themed Pride Party on October 10 and the National Coming Out Day Celebration on October 11.