UIS Coalition Builders (National Coalition Building Institute)

The University of Illinois Springfield is in the process of becoming a campus affiliate of the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI). NCBI  is an international non-profit leadership development network dedicated to the elimination of racism and other forms of oppression. Rooted in an understanding of individual, community, and systemic change, NCBI leaders work with public and private organizations to further:

  • Cultural competence,
  • Collaboration and partnerships,
  • Effective relationships within and across group identities.

UIS will soon offer two NCBI programs: the Prejudice Reduction Workshop and the Controversial Issues Process Workshop. Prejudice Reduction Workshop: This award-winning workshop consists of a series of incremental, participatory activities that empower individuals of all ages and backgrounds to take leadership in building inclusive communities in their workplaces and neighborhoods. It teaches people, for example, to celebrate their similarities and differences and recognize the misinformation that people have about various groups. Controversial Issues Process Workshop: The Controversial Issue Process was designed to train leaders to deal with tough controversial issues in a way that builds bridges.  It provides a structured methodology for airing and listening to entrenched positions on both sides of an issue and then reframing the issue to take the concerns of both sides into account.  The NCBI Controversial Issue Process gives leaders a new way to take on some of the most heated controversies: abortion, death penalty, employment equity, gay-lesbian marriages, assisted suicide.  Discussing these emotional issues is so difficult for even the most seasoned leaders, because the question they raise challenge core cultural and religious beliefs.

No Bullying at UIS

Facts About Bullying

  • Bullying is the most common form of violence in our society; between 15% and 30% of students are bullies or victims.
  • Bullying is more dominant in boys than girls; however, this difference decreases when considering indirect aggression (such as verbal threats).
  • Between 1994 and 1999, there were 253 violent deaths in school, 51 casualties were the result of multiple death events.
  • It is an unacceptable anti-social behavior that is learned through influences in the environment, e.g., home, school, peer groups, even the media.
  • 25% of teachers see nothing wrong with bullying or putdowns and consequently intervene in only 4% of bullying incidents.

Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience :

  • Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities (May persist into adulthood).
  • Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. More likely to skip school.
  • A very small number of bullied children might retaliate through extremely violent measures. 12 out of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a history of being bullied.

Resource: www.stopbullying.gov