Bystander Training (Faculty and Student

As the APS has recognized, implicit biases around race, gender, sexuality, socio-economic status, religion, disability, and other factors can interfere with students' education.~ Academic mentors can be an invaluable resource for students who face these barriers to their learning.~ This session introduces participants to practical steps they can take to recognize and respond constructively to bias~incidents.~ Research has shown that bystander intervention is enabled when individuals perceive there is a problem to be addressed and believe they have the skills to act.~ Drawing from~the Bystander Leadership Program developed~as part of the NSF ADVANCE program at~Florida International University (FIU), we will use experiential learning to encourage~attendees~to engage in bystander intervention and promote structural change within their spheres of influence.~ Participants~will engage in experiential exercises that are components of FIU's 5-step, behavioral skills training workshop.~ This session offers the opportunity to move from reflection and cognition to action through embodied practice based on~mentoring~scenarios adapted from real experiences.~