Below is a list of the various workshop options available to students and educators attending the Colorado Youth Diversity Conference in February 2025. You can also download a PDF document of this list of workshops here.

Advocacy 101: Showing Up for Change

Explore the foundational aspects of advocacy through interactive discussions and collaborative scenario-based exercises, and delve into the principles of community organizing. This workshop will provide real-world examples, and each participant will be equipped with a personalized advocacy action plan to drive meaningful change in their communities. Whether you’re new to advocacy or looking to refine your approach, this workshop will inspire and prepare you to show up for the causes that matter. This workshop is for educators and adults only.

Adult Mentor Training

Are you new to YCD’s youth-led model? Looking for help and training on how to empower youth leadership without taking over or doing everything yourself? Join this adult-only workshop to learn from those who have been coaching youth for years to learn tips, tricks and ideas that will help you become a better adult mentor! This workshop is for educators and adults only.

The Asian Pacific Islander Experience

With the recent spike in anti-Asian hate crimes, a lot of our Asian American community is feeling demoralized and unsafe. Although we have been here for generations, racism has reared its ugly head to target our community once again. This is not a new phenomenon and will probably not be the last time we see it happen. In this workshop, attendees will learn more about the history of Asian American discrimination, resources available to the Asian American community, and things we can do to make sure that we keep our community safe. The workshop will include a discussion/reflection activity, interactive polling, and a worksheet to create an action plan. Despite our challenges, our community will do what it has always done- persevere and stay resilient.

Beyond the Hype: Human Trafficking of Youth in Colorado

Hidden in plain sight is the cliché for situations involving trafficking and yet, in 2024 minors who have been trafficked are filling up our youth detention centers, dropping out of school and using substances to cope with their trauma. How can we recognize trafficking when it’s happening right in front of us – from survival sex to forced criminality to the labor trafficking of unaccompanied minors? We need to see beyond the hype, understand the nuances of the crime and know the existing resources to support survivors. This workshop will bust through myths perpetuated by social media and Hollywood; illustrate the realities of trafficking in Colorado’s rural and urban communities; and encourage new ways of thinking about vulnerability, marginalization and exploitation of youth. We will end with a call to action for young leaders attending the conference.

Changing the Narrative: Unpacking Bias

This interactive workshop engages community members in a discussion about personal biases and how they impact perceptions and behaviors between law enforcement and community. The workshop allows participants to reflect on how biases show up in both their professional and personal lives. The workshop is intended to promote self-reflection, self-accountability and personal growth through dialogue and creation of action steps.

Confronting and Dismantling Ableism

People may experience disability at any time in life, regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, etc. Disability may also affect people along a spectrum, whether it be temporary or permanent, hidden or visible. In this workshop, CCDC staff will help participants gain a working knowledge of disability and how ableism affects all of us. We will use clips and themes from the Oscar award-nominated documentary, Crip Camp, to facilitate a conversation that encourages participants to identify the challenges involved in dismantling ableism. Participants will then work in small groups wherein they will identify instances of ableism in their everyday lives/environments and create actionable steps they could take to address this form of oppression. This workshop will be highly participatory and action-oriented.

Confronting Male Privilege

This workshop will approach the complex and messy topic of confronting male privilege and its role in the interconnected systems of oppression. In doing so, we will discuss toxic masculinity and how it affects people of all genders. This will include the effect of toxic masculinity on men’s mental health and men’s suicide prevention. Additionally, we will explore how toxic masculinity plays a role in sexism and misogyny, including issues such as mansplaining and reproductive justice. Lastly, we will touch upon the ways in which toxic masculinity interacts with other harmful “isms” such as racism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, mental illness, and more. By the end of the workshop, all participants will have the knowledge needed to begin dismantling the ways in which toxic masculinity has affected their lives.

Discover the Power of Community: Start a YCD Chapter

This workshop is for youth and adults looking for help in starting a new YCD chapter in their school or community, or taking an existing chapter to the next level! We will review how to empower youth leaders, take a tour of the materials and resources YCD has available, and brainstorm together how to recruit and expand your membership. This workshop is the perfect place to bring your questions or problems for troubleshooting and group discussion!

Empowering Self-Worth: Rising Above Influences to Embrace Your Value

Join this interactive workshop for methods that liberate you from the grip of harmful influences. Dive into the origins of low self-esteem and unhealthy self-identity/image to unravel the layers teaching you to harshly measure your value. Engage in transformative exercises and meaningful discussions to not only understand but be able to actively reclaim your genuine worth. Take this journey to break free, rediscover your essence, and emerge empowered, equipped with the tools that build your resilience to un-accept disparaging lessons and embrace the powerful truth of who you are.

Empowering You to Prevent Suicide

In this session, participants will gain insight and information into the risk factors students face when it comes to suicide. We’ll debunk some myths and face some hard truths. The goal? To feel empowered to support ourselves and one another, working toward prevention of suicide in our community.

Finding Your Voice and Skills for Conflict Resolution

Everyone experiences conflict—over who we are, what we believe, and so many other things. Sometimes that conflict grows until it harms or even ends those relationships. It doesn’t have to be that way. We will discuss conflicts that you are experiencing and effective ways to deal with them. We will use small-group discussion and practical tools to help each other address conflict in positive ways. This workshop is for educators and adults only.

The Four I’s of Oppression

Racism, classism, homophobia, sexism, and other forms of oppression occur at different levels: ideological, institutional, interpersonal, and internal. Why does this framework matter? Because each of these levels are interrelated and mutually reinforcing. Any effort to dismantle oppression must address all four of these levels. We’ll talk about the four I’s of oppression using specific examples to understand the different ways we need to tackle it.

Hate Crimes? Youth Decide the Verdict

In this workshop lawyers will lead an interactive session on Colorado’s Hate Crimes Statute.  The lawyers will present a case involving criminal hate crimes. At the conclusion of the trial, small discussion groups of students will become “juries” to discuss the issues presented and, with the assistance of an adult facilitator, reach a verdict. The group will also discuss diversity in their community and the value of preventing the spread of racial slurs and hateful actions.

Healing The Path Forward: Reparations, Housing (In)Justice and the Racial Wealth Gap

In this session we’ll look at the long shadow of slavery and its continuing influence on the criminal (in)justice system – specifically the inequities Black and brown people have faced from slave patrols and the convict leasing system to the war on drugs and school to prison pipeline, and the many other unjust conditions we face today. We’ll take a brief survey of our history, look at the reparative solutions being proposed across the country as part of the reparations movement and then work together, using a unique creative writing process, to design healing solutions together.

Hip-Hop and Social Justice

Learn the art and history of hip-hop elements (dance/lyrics/beats/visual) and its social justice context in a full body immersion. Create a rap, dance or graffiti social justice piece while exploring your own sense of style and expression!

How to Have Hard Conversations

The purpose of this workshop is to teach youth how to talk about controversial issues with people who disagree with them; and if they should. We will review a basic overview of the psychology of changing opinions and explain how to harness that psychology to change the minds of people close to you while attendees prepare for a real conversation they would like to have. Youth will leave the workshop with an understanding of how to have hard conversations and feel equipped to have an upcoming conversation.

How to Lead and Shift Culture with a Radical Heart

Participants will explore what it means to embrace a Radical Heart and lead with equity and inclusion at the forefront. Through interactive exercises, self-reflection, and group discussions, attendees will identify their own intersecting identities, challenge internalized beliefs, and practice emotional intelligence strategies such as mirroring and deep listening. Topics include navigating discomfort as a catalyst for growth, building cultural intelligence, and setting actionable DEI goals for sustainable change. Participants will leave with practical tools and strategies to foster inclusive environments and drive meaningful transformation in their organizations and communities. This workshop is for educators and adults only.

The Immigrant Experience: Home is Here!

This presentation gives insight on the struggles immigrant and first generation students face in school between inappropriate questions and common misconceptions and navigating the differences between their school life and their home life. You will also hear personal stories from students from all around the world and learn how you can be a good ally. Through games and interactive activities, The Immigrant Experience presentation will change your perspective and provide you with information to bring back to your communities to create safe spaces for your immigrant and first generation peers and students.

Interactions with Police: Know Your Rights

In this workshop, attorney Qusair Mohamedbhai and Sheriff Tyler Brown will simulate students getting pulled over for a traffic stop. In this interactive simulation, they will walk students through the do’s and don’ts of surviving a police encounter, within the framework of knowing your rights.

Intersectionality and Rape Culture: Addressing the Unique Challenges Faced by LGBTQ+ and Disabled Youth

This workshop will explore how rape culture impacts marginalized youth identities, specifically LGBTQIA+ and disabled youth. Through an interactive needs assessment, participants will gain insight into the unique barriers and challenges these youth face in terms of sexual violence. In small group discussions, attendees will brainstorm and develop practical, community-based solutions for creating preventative environments. By the end of the session, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how to address the root causes of sexual violence and actionable strategies for creating safer, more inclusive spaces for these vulnerable populations.

An Introduction to Reproductive Justice

In this workshop, students will learn about the “her”story of reproductive justice and its roots in human rights and how it is a form of social justice. This workshop will define reproductive justice by exploring how our multiple identities inform our diverse experiences. We will also review how laws can either create barriers or opportunities for reproductive justice and how YOU can make a change in your community.

An Introduction to Women’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Self-Defense

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is ideal for women.  Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was created specifically to allow the smaller person to overcome the bigger, stronger, more aggressive opponent through the proper use of timing, positioning, leverage, and technique.  When women are attacked, they are often taken to the ground by a larger, more aggressive assailant and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, known for its devastatingly effective ground fighting techniques, directly addresses this situation.  Because of this, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is often recognized as the single most effective self-defense system in the world, especially for women.  Take advantage of this opportunity to introduce yourself to the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu!

Islam and Islamophobia

Islamophobia is the discrimination and oppression of Muslims. This workshop will serve as an open forum for students and adults to ask questions freely as they learn some of the common myths and misconceptions surrounding the Islamic faith and Muslim people. This session will also help participants understand how xenophobia against any race, religion or ethnicity should not be tolerated.

It’s Complicated: Navigating Healthy Relationships

Teen dating is hard. Texting, social media, and navigating the school environment make romantic relationships really hard. What are healthy and unhealthy qualities in a relationship? How do I kindly and respectfully break up with someone? This workshop will discuss what to look for in a healthy relationship and how to communicate better with your partner.

Knowledge is Power: Sexual Assault Awareness and Intervention

This workshop will provide an overview of the scope and impact of sexual violence and provides attendees with some tools they can use to help prevent sexual violence in their communities. Participants will learn about the services that The Blue Bench offers to people who are impacted by sexual violence, myths and facts about sexual violence, strategies for supporting people in their lives who have experienced sexual violence, and techniques for intervening when they see something harmful happening in their own communities and friend groups.

Lessons Learned from Home: You Must be Carefully Taught to Love or Hate

How have the lessons from home, spoken or unspoken, shaped who you are? How have the lessons from home affected how you interact with people who are similar and different from you? This interactive workshop features activities, panel discussions, and audience participation. Panelists/audience will share how lessons learned from home affect their everyday life choices and experiences. Basic tools required to become accepting of yourself and others will be provided.

Mindful Expressions: Discovering Identity and Empowering Change through Identity Collage

This workshop explores how mindfulness and creative expression can help participants discover their authentic selves and empower them to take action for social change. Through the process of creating an “Identity Collage,” participants will reflect on their values, beliefs, and aspirations while engaging in meaningful dialogue about identity and activism as well as building skills in perspective-taking and communication. Guided mindfulness exercises and collaborative discussions will inspire participants to connect their unique identities to collective efforts for justice and inclusion. Key takeaways will include tools for self-awareness, strategies for meaningful collaboration, and inspiration for turning creative expression into action.

My Ethics versus Your Values

This interactive workshop will challenge students to explore their ethics and values that have been formed throughout their lives. They will face ethical dilemmas and practice communication techniques when faced with different thinking. There will be laughter!

Native American Representation and Misrepresentation In Media

This workshop will show the history of misrepresentation of Native American Peoples in media and storytelling and how this creates stereotypes and misunderstandings of Indigenous communities.  We will have an interactive and frank discussion on how these stereotypes have been formed, where we are now, and more importantly how we can end them.

Navigating Life with Purpose: Discovering and Living Your Values

This workshop will help you uncover and explore your core values—the beliefs and principles that guide your decisions, relationships, and goals. You’ll learn how values shape your identity and how living in alignment with them can improve your mental health, reduce stress, and make life feel more meaningful. In this interactive session, you’ll identify your top 10 personal values; explore how your daily activities reflect (or don’t reflect) these values; and create a vision for how your time and energy can better align with what truly matters to you. By the end of this workshop, you’ll have a personalized blueprint to help you navigate life with clarity, purpose, and a stronger sense of well-being.

One Person, More than One Identity

Biracial and multi-racial students navigate school and home life in very different ways.  In this session students who hold the two or more racial and/or ethnic identities can participate in an Affinity Circle circle to discuss their beautiful and amazing selves and also find community with others who share the same lived experiences.

Queer Joy! We Are All in This Together

The audience will be polled on topics similar to the Privilege Walk in order to gain an understanding of themselves and their peers. Each individual will be encouraged to engage in story sharing and deep, meaningful conversations regarding their identities and experiences. Ultimately, the audience will leave with some resources needed to begin the healing process.

Racism, Imperialism, Genocide, and the American Medical System

We will review terms related to race, racism, imperialism, and genocide. We will explore the ways the American medical system upholds systems of oppression, and how groups continue to fight against this. This workshop is suitable for teens and adults. This workshop will involve some aspects of information learning and plenty of time for discussion.

Recruiting the Next Ruby Bridges: School Integration and Civil Rights Activism

Colorado is failing to provide a “thorough and uniform system” of public schools by continuing to maintain and facilitate a system of segregated schools and districts. This session will display the inputs of that system (funding, teacher retention, etc.) as well as outputs (districts with more low-income students and more Black and Brown students are given fewer educational opportunities) before taking input on how to change it. The goal is to bring a lawsuit against the state of Colorado for not upholding the constitution, and we need students and families to shape this work and potentially join in.

Release Your Inner Storyteller

This workshop explores the significance of Indigenous self-narratives in addressing the challenges of dominant narratives. Participants will learn to generate their storytelling abilities of who they are and who they wish to understand, empower their Indigenous identity, make sense of their lived experiences, and promote Indigenous positivity and resilience. Participants will craft their stories on posters and a sharing circle.

Restorative Practices in Schools: Shifting Mindsets

In this brief overview of Restorative Practices, we will talk about the importance of the 5Rs in building an environment that helps everyone, teachers and students alike, learn from mistakes and embrace conflict as an opportunity to learn and grow. We will cover how things like power imbalances and implicit bias, which are interwoven in the schooling system, create more conflict in schools and discuss opportunities that students and teachers have to disrupt the status quo and create a more understanding and supportive community. This workshop is for educators and adults only.

A Safety Net for All: How Guaranteed Income Can Empower People Experiencing Homelessness

In this presentation, the Denver Basic Income Project will explore the powerful impact of guaranteed income on individuals facing homelessness. Our project has deployed over $10.8 million in direct cash payments to over 800 individuals and families experiencing homelessness right here in Denver. Through real-life examples, research, and interactive discussion, we’ll examine how providing a steady, unconditional cash payment can create stability, reduce financial stress, and open up pathways for individuals to rebuild their lives. Attendees will learn how guaranteed income can empower people to secure housing, access healthcare, and improve their overall well-being, while also challenging stereotypes about poverty and homelessness. The session will invite high school students to think critically about the social safety net and how policy solutions like guaranteed income can drive systemic change.

Sexualization of Women and Girls

During this workshop we’ll differentiate between objectification and oversexualization and describe adultification. We will explore the experience of girls, women, and those with additional marginalized identities. Specific ways to address the moment and how to advance society towards equity will be explored.

Transformational Poetry and Spoken Word

Engage in a dialogue with your subconscious through spoken word and poetry! You are a creative genius and have the power to transform your life into personal power, hope, and to pursue where you want your story to go. Art from Ashes facilitates creative workshops, taking youth through three-minute guided writing prompts that will allow for playfulness, inspiration and empowerment. You will discover and use your creative voice, and connect with yourself and other people in a new and inspiring way.

Transgender 101

The presenter will share their years-long journey of discovering who they are. Now as a trans man, they will share knowledge of how teachers can support transgender students through respecting pronouns, combating transphobia, and providing a safe environment for students who are in the LGBTQ+ community or kids that just need the space to find themselves.

We are on Native Land

Have you considered the history, identity, and cultural significance of the land you live, work, and recreate on? In this session, we will explore the cultural and spiritual significance of land to indigenous nations with a specific focus on the land in northern Colorado and Wyoming. We will understand the importance and role of Land Acknowledgements and Land Back movements. Finally, we will collaboratively generate actions we can take to support local indigenous communities in relation to land. 

What Interfaith Dialogue Really Looks Like

Join interfaith leaders and learn about how people from all the world’s religions can work together to create a more just and unified world. This participatory workshop will include leaders from a variety of faiths, and together, we will do more than just talk about religions working together—we’ll get to do it.

Who Is Your Character? Perspectives and Diversity

Students will work with the facilitator to ask deep, introspective questions about the nature of self, character, and actor. We will use acting games and improv exercises to have fun and explore these concepts as direct experience.

Young Leaders Making a Change

We’ll explore the critical role young leaders play in shaping and strengthening our communities. We’ll discuss the unique perspectives and energy young leaders bring and how their fresh ideas can address pressing challenges and drive positive change. Attendees will learn about the benefits of youth leadership, from fostering inclusivity and innovation to creating sustainable community improvements. Through interactive discussions and activities, we’ll highlight the importance of stepping into leadership roles early and how these contributions can make a meaningful impact on the world around us.

You can return to the Colorado Youth Diversity Conference main page here.