Spotlight On...

 

Bill Van Vugt

Prejudice Reduction Workshop Facilitator

 

 

There were many things that prompted Bill Van Vugt to become a Diversity Council Prejudice Reduction Workshop facilitator—his newfound free time upon retirement from a managerial position at IBM, the social network he had established while in the workforce, and an interest in the burgeoning diversity he witnessed around him and the issues that raised in the community and the workplace.

 

Bill moved here in 1971 from another small Minnesota town.  He instantly found Rochester to be a welcoming community for his two adopted Korean children.  Because Bill has lived in Rochester for over 25 years, he has been a witness to many changes.

 

“I have been here for waves of peoples moving into the area, from Southeast Asians to Bosnians to Africans,” he says.  “This is something I see as a continuing asset to the Rochester community.”

 

Bill is very active with the Diversity Council.  He typically spends two weeks out of every month leading Prejudice Reduction Workshops (PRWs) in local schools.  The PRWs are a series of 13 age-appropriate lessons that build respect for human difference among K-12 students.

 

Bill says that his favorite part of being a facilitator is “seeing the responses of the students—particularly of those in the lower grades.  I feel hopeful when I see two kids of different races sitting together, enjoying each other’s company.” 

 

He believes that the early years, when kids are more open, is the best time to really get them to think about diversity issues. 

 

His strategies for getting his message to hit home with the students vary by age group.  Younger kids, he says, just like to see that you like them—that you are there with a message, but want to have fun while you’re doing it.  And with older students, he tries to identify with some of their needs and show that he is willing to listen to what they have to say.

 

Bill’s community involvement does not stop with the Diversity Council—he is also actively involved with Rochester Area Habitat for Humanity. If you drive around town and look at Habitat homes in Rochester, you will see more than Bill’s handiwork; you will see many proud homeowners. 

 

Bill believes that the message he delivers with the PRWs is clearly exhibited in the Habitat homes:  “We want to make Rochester a welcoming and inclusive community.  By doing this, people want to be a part of, and contribute to, the community.” 

 

Bill’s enthusiasm, passion and experience make him a valuable asset to the PRW team.    Thank you, Bill, for all of your hard work!