We are just over a week away from Skepticon 10! Check out the workshops we have in store for you.
Friday
Creating a Welcoming Group – 9:00 AM
Mandisa Thomas
You can plan the events, but to get people in the seats, they have to feel they belong.This workshop will walk you through making your group a welcoming one.
Organizing a Lobby Day – 10:00 AM
Monette Richards
We’ve clicked on action alerts, sent faxes, emails and texts. We have even called our elected officials, mostly to end up in voice mail. What’s the next step? Why not go visit them in person? Why not take your friends, too!
Secular Activism Campaigns: What Works, What Hasn’t Worked, and How To Be More Effective -11:00 AM
Debbie Goddard
Building on the activism framework presented at Skepticon 9, Debbie Goddard will guide the workshop through a hands-on analysis of several secular campaigns. We’ll look at how they were designed, who they’re “talking” to and why, how they measured effectiveness, and what, in hindsight, they could have done better. We’ll also brainstorm new activism campaign ideas and messaging. Bring your experience and your creativity!
Making Ourselves Relevant In the Resistance – Noon
Greta Christina & Debbie Goddard
On paper, organized atheism and skepticism should have a major role in the current resistance movements in the US. Do we? If not, why not? In places where we do, what helps make that happen? What do we have to contribute to these movements? And what can we do — on the individual, local, and national levels — to improve our presence in the resistance and make more of a contribution?
Deescalation – 1:00 PM
Rebecca Hensler
With every direct action, there is a chance the situation will get out of control. Explore ways to deescate before things get bad.
Creating a Self Care Plan – 2:00 PM
Hiba Bint Zeinab
We often talk about the importance of self-care. But do we know how to actually put it into practice?
Imposter Syndrome – 3:00 PM
Stephanie Zvan, Monette Richards and Jessica Xiao
Impostor syndrome is that feeling that you’re just faking what you do and are going to be found out any minute. It keeps us from fully appreciating our own work and from tackling new, ambitious projects that need to be done. Come gather tips and exercises to combat this problem and be a more effective, secure activist.
Consent- 4:00 PM
Heina Dadabhoy
Have questions about consent? Fnd answers as you work through this workshop.
Saturday
Start your own podcast – 10:00 AM
Marissa Alexa McCool and Maddy Love
So, you wanna start a podcast…
Lessons from AIDS Activism – 11:00 AM
Ingrid Nelson, Laura Thomas & Rebecca Hensler
Learn Direct Action from activists who have been there and done it. These members of ActUP will go over the lessons they learned during AIDS Activism.
Sunday
Finding Your Way Around Moose – 2:00 PM
Sam Farooqui
Ex-Muslim issues can be really complicated for never-Muslims to parse. Frequently, never-Muslims fall prey to overcorrection, saviorism, or just plain silence. This workshop has been designed to educate never-Muslims on the intersections that tend to be involved where ex-Muslims are concerned, and how to work with and for those issues, in order to create substantive change.
How to do a Workshop – 3:00 PM
Stephanie Zvan
Do you want to put on a workshop, but aren’t sure how to design an effecctive one? Learn how to use the interactive nature of workshops to build confidence while conveying useful information.