Wheaton to host Networks for Change conference on April 5

Wheaton will host its second annual social justice conference, titled “Networks for Change: Empowering Inclusive Collaborations,” on Saturday, April 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Mary Lyon Hall.

The event will provide an opportunity to engage in intentional, skill-building conversations with colleagues, focusing on ways to build working partnerships with a wide array of collaborators.

Sessions created and led by Wheaton students, staff and faculty, will include Green Spaces Theory and Integration, Inclusive Professionalism and Empowering Inclusive Collaborations and Initiatives. A session titled Domestic Violence in LGBTQ+ Communities will be led by Fenway Health’s Violence Recovery Program.

The event will feature a performance by educator and musician Miss Christine and a keynote address from alum Val Cabral ’09.

“As Wheaton’s Network for LGBTQ+ Inclusion, Support and Advocacy has worked to intentionally expand event offerings to community partners and Wheaton alumni, Val immediately came to mind for this year’s conference keynote speaker as they are deeply engaged in both of those worlds,” said Mike Pratt, assistant director of The Center for Social Justice and Community Impact, who is partnering with Associate Director of Residential Life Lyndsey Aguilar to organize the conference.

“As a positive voice for change in the Norton community, particularly around support for LGBTQ+ people, Val was an integral part of our inaugural conference last year, helping to bridge conversations between the diverse professional backgrounds of our attendees,” Pratt explained. “Given the rising stakes around inclusive conversations nationally, Val felt like the person most equipped to meet the moment, so to speak, and both reduce anxieties while also inspiring change.”

A local resident, Cabral is a tireless volunteer and inclusivity advocate who works in the technology field. As someone deeply in tune with the community, Cabral aims to share their journey as a queer person and provide tips on how to get involved and make change starting at the local level.

If interested in attending the conference, please complete the online registration form.

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