Summer Teacher Workshop @ Alverno College: “Overcoming Islamophobia: Creating a Positive Classroom Culture”

“Overcoming Islamophobia: Creating a Positive Classroom Culture” August 7, 2017 at Alverno College Islamophobia is a distorted image of Islam and Muslims caused by faith misrepresentation and fear/exploitation of religious practices and beliefs. The purposes of this one-day workshop are, among others: to explore the roots of Islamophobia in the United States, to share resources/tactics for ameliorating Islamophobia, and to introduce ways to build positive classroom communities. This workshop is designed for K-12 teachers and includes talks by national speakers, a visit to and a home-made lunch at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, as well as success stories from classroom teachers. Agenda 8:30-8:55 Arrival and Check-in at Alverno College 9:00-9:10 Welcome/Bureaucracy 9:15-10:15 Eunsook Jung, Faculty Associate, Department of Political Science, UW-Madison, “Perceptions and Misperceptions of Islam in the United States” 10:15-10:30 Break 10:30-11:30 Janan Najeeb, President, Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition, “The Role of Teachers in Combating Islamophobia and Fostering Interfaith Literacy” 11:45-noon Drive to Islamic Society of Milwaukee (4707 South 13^th Street) Noon-12:45 Lunch at ISM 12:45-1:05 Tour of ISM 1:10-1:30 Observe Mid-Day Prayer 1:30-2:00 Lecture at ISM about ISM 2:05-2:20 Drive back to Alverno 2:30-3:30 Hatem Bazian, Professor, Departments of Near Eastern and Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies, University of California, Berkeley,Title TBA 3:30-4:30 Othman Atta, Operations Manager, Islamic Society of Milwaukee, “The Impact of Islamophobia on School Children” 4:30-5:00 Wrap-Up and Good-byes Co-sponsored by Alverno College, Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition, and the Islamic Society of Milwaukee.