SCP’s D&I Study for Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Concludes with Train-the-Trainer Workshops

SCP conducted a wide-reaching Diversity and Inclusion Study for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Law Enforcement and Public Safety agencies (including State Police, Department of Corrections, Department of Probation and Parole, Capitol Police and Department of Military and Veterans Affairs) in which the agencies’ diversity and inclusion processes were assessed and benchmarked against best practices and industry standards. Additionally, SCP conducted an in-depth analysis examining how the agencies are structured to attract, engage, and retain a diverse workforce. In conjunction with leadership, SCP created an enhanced communication plan, action strategies to guide the development and adoption of new internal and external initiatives and processes that enhance diversity and inclusion.

Additionally, SCP facilitated a robust Train-the-Trainer program with Commonwealth of Pennsylvania public safety agency leaders who will deliver diversity and inclusion training programs to over 25,000 law enforcement and public safety staff members throughout the Commonwealth.

Program participants learned that diversity is not solely about demographic characteristics like race and age; it’s also about socioeconomic class, religion, education, and several other characteristics, which are depicted above.

We are pleased to share a few photos from our workshop, which took place over five days in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.

D&I Train-the-Trainer Workshop participants and facilitators after training certifications were awarded.

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Culture Panel featuring Mai Yeager of PAIRWN (Pennsylvania Association of Immigrant and Refugee Women),  speaking about Far East Asian cultures, along with fellow panelists Ben Brooks, a PAIRWN volunteer who spoke about African American culture; PAIRWN volunteer Yolimar Marquez, who spoke about Hispanic/Latin cultures; and Dr. Nirmal Joshi of the Asian Indian Association of Central Pennsylvania, who spoke about Indian and Pakistani cultures.

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Amanda Arbour, Executive Director of the LGBTQ Center of Harrisburg, spoke about the many dimensions and nuances of gender identification and described how workplaces often alienate those whose gender and sexual preferences do not align with what’s considered “normal.”

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Visually impaired disability advocate Mark Pickens (with microphone) and Pam Auer (far right) with the Center for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania, told their own stories and spoke about the marginalization of people with disabilities and the challenges they may face.    

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Participants on the Religion Panel included (from left) Rabbi Cytryn, Beth Shalom Temple, Harrisburg (Judaism); Farzana Safiullah, CEO National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (Islam), Ash Bhargave, Entrepreneur (Hinduism), and Pastor John Overman, Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, Enola, PA (Christianity).

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Each participant facilitated part of the Diversity and Inclusion Curriculum in conjunction with a teach-back assignment given to all trainers. Upon completion, participants received a training certificate, 32 hours of training credit, and the training materials they will use to train the leaders and peers within their agencies.

Photo Credits: Jodi Christman

“The Train-the-Trainer workshop offered by SCP was engaging, interactive, and thought-provoking. It provided Commonwealth staff with excellent resources and skills to use for the future training and development of employees.”

~Robin Jones, Director of EEO

What training programs do you use to ensure a diverse and inclusive workplace? Do you feel that you are coming up short in your efforts to ensure diversity and inclusion? To learn more about the importance of assessing your organization’s diversity and inclusion practices and strategies, follow this link to read a thought leadership article written by SCP CEO Monica Gould. To schedule a free one-hour consultation about diversity and inclusion programs, send an email to [email protected] or call us at 717-790-8723.