The Diversity Council: Supported by our Community

 

Olmsted County

The Diversity Council assists Olmsted County in accomplishing our goal of providing quality services through community involvement and improving the lives of all our citizens.

 

Rochester Public Schools

The Diversity Council plays an important role in helping the Rochester Public Schools achieve the vision of life-long learning for all. They are also key to supporting our aim of providing a safe and welcoming learning environment.

 

Olmsted Medical Center

The Diversity Council's efforts and training programs help OMC staff be better prepared to proactively address the community health education needs of the growing, vibrant, culturally diverse patient population we serve.

Who We Are

 

The Diversity Council began in 1989 as Building Equality Together (BET) when the leadership of Rochester Public Schools recognized the need to combat racism and discrimination in our schools. School district staff worked with community leaders to form an independent nonprofit organization to meet this need.

 

Since that time, the Diversity Council's focus has grown to include not only students, but also the adults who are their guides to the future. The Diversity Council's mission has also expanded to address an inclusive understanding of diversity--including ethnicity, age, socio-economic class, religion, gender, sexual orientation, physical & mental disabilities, and a myriad of other differences.

 

Spark! workshops (formerly Prejudice Reduction Workshops), the Diversity Council's flagship program, began in 1996 with a handful of facilitators reaching students at three Rochester middle schools. By 2003, about 60 trained facilitators were bringing Prejudice Reduction Workshops to more than 15,000 students in Rochester Public Schools, private and parochial schools, and public schools in surrounding areas. In 2008, we received national recognition when the workshops were featured on the NBC Today Show.

 

Spark! workshops are a unique approach in anti-bias education, the only program of its kind that trains community members reflecting the diversity of our local population to deliver thoroughly evaluated, research-based curriculum to K-12 students.

 

Our adult education efforts are expanding as well. We offer a broad range of workshops, from a brief overview of diversity to in-depth explorations of issues such as race, poverty, immigration, and the business advantages of diversity. We have also developed a Diversity Toolkit that provides business managers with a collection of training activities and reference materials on diversity issues.

 

Collaboration with other community organizations is a key element of our strategy for building a welcoming and inclusive community. Some of our collaborative projects have included the 1997 "Not In Our Town" campaign against racial violence; the 2001 publication of a guide to resources in Rochester, published in 8 different languages; the 1990 and 2006 Racial Attitudes Surveys; and the VOICES project, begun in 2008, which brings community leaders together to learn about the assets immigrants bring to our community and to work toward mutual economic success.

 

The quality of our programs and our comprehensive approach to fighting prejudice have earned us recognition as leaders in our field. In 2006, we were recognized by the MN Council of Nonprofits as one of three finalists for the Nonprofit Mission Award for Best Anti-Racism Initiative.

 

Each year we continue to develop new programs and strive for excellence in efforts to realize our vision of eliminating discrimination. We invite you to join us in building a welcoming and inclusive community.

Our offices are located in Northgate Center:

1130-1/2 7th St NW, Suite 204

Rochester, MN 55901

Telephone: (507) 282-9951

Fax: (507) 282-9964

Email: info@diversitycouncil.org