In this interactive workshop, participants will have the opportunity to meet new colleagues, and build on a foundational skill for Freedom Dreaming—listening.  Becoming centered in love, care, beauty and humanity starts by truly listening to others.  Effective listening takes a lot of practice to develop.  Once we have it, it will serve us well in all aspects of our lives. Research shows that listening is the skill we use the most and “learn the least.”    

In this workshop, we will explore the three levels of listening and then practice being even better listeners.      

Participants will engage in listening at 3 levels: 1. Listening for me.  2. Listening for you.  3. Whole body listening.  We will spend time in partnerships engaging in knee-to-knee conversations related to race, identity and culture while practicing several listening strategies.  As each level of listening is experienced and unpacked, we open ourselves to what is being said both verbally and through tone, movements and facial expressions.   

Listening actively allows us to better understand the whole of what someone is communicating to us as we recognize and learn to quiet our own biases. Listening raises our awareness of the barriers and biases that impact relationships. Listening actively strengthens our relationships, builds trust, and fosters connections.