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Home My WebLink AboutThe Lens - July 20237/14/23, 10:19 AM The Lens - July 2023 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/3624503 1/4 We only use cookies that are necessary for this site to function to provide you with the best experience. The controller of this site may choose to place supplementary cookies to support additional functionality such as support analytics, and has an obligation to disclose these cookies. Learn more in our Cookie Statement. The Lens - July 2023 City of Iowa City sent this bulletin at 07/12/2023 10:00 AM CDT Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. July 2023 | The Lens is a newsletter to expand conversations on equity, inclusion, belonging, and access. Microaggressions in the Workplace Ever wonder what a microaggression is? Watch this short video to learn more. Click here to view. Here are some crucial steps you can take to disarm and reduce microaggressions at work: Education for all employees: Implement comprehensive training programs that raise awareness about microaggressions, unconscious bias, and their impact on individuals and the organization. Zero tolerance policy: Enforce a strict policy that clearly communicates that any form of harassment or microaggression will not be tolerated. Updates and guides on language: Provide ongoing guidance and resources to employees helping them understand the power of language and fostering a more respectful and inclusive communication culture. Training on how to have conversations about microaggressions: Equip employees with the necessary skills to recognize, address, and navigate conversations around microaggressions. Promote reverse mentoring: Establish programs that facilitate reverse mentoring, where employees can connect, and learn from each other. *Source: Deloitte's Women @ Work 2023 Report DEI Consultant/Facilitator to Host, "Digging Deeper" Workshop Tommy Ross will facilitate a conversation on “Digging Deeper” that will focus on decoding and developing DEI on individual, organizational, and systemic levels. The program will take place from 1- 3 p.m. on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at the East Side Environmental Education Center, 2401 Scott Blvd. SE. You can register at this link. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited to 40 participants. For questions or if you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please contact the office at 319-356-5015 or humanrights@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Subscribe to updates from City of Iowa City Email Address e.g. name@exam Subscribe Share Bulletin 7/14/23, 10:19 AM The Lens - July 2023 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/3624503 2/4 Meet Human Rights Commissioner Doug Kollasch Pronouns, he/him Why did you apply to serve on the commission? I have always been proud of Iowa City's well-deserved reputation as a city that preserves and advances human rights. With the statewide political trends, I wanted to be a part of ensuring that reputation remains intact. What are some of the most pressing human rights issues in Iowa City? I think Iowa City is in a position to be a leader in the fight against the state legislature's efforts to strip rights from the LGBTQ+ community, especially those of trans Iowans. I think reproductive freedom is a human right that is also being targeted recently. What human rights issues do you hope to work on while serving as a commissioner? I want to make the residents of Iowa City aware of the myriad of human rights issues that affect our community, state, nation, and world. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, protecting and advancing the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals is of particular importance to me personally and I hope to involve that in my work as a commissioner. What makes a livable community? A livable community is one where everyone feels not only included but welcomed. It is a place where all residents feel like they belong, are safe, and can freely express themselves authentically. What is your vision for the commission in the next year? In the next year, I would like to see the commission become more active and vocal about the human rights transgressions and risks we see locally and globally. I see the commission as the voice of Iowa City when it comes to advocating for and defending the human rights of its residents, of all Iowans, and the entire global community. What is your useless talent? I know a lot of useless general information. I appeared on Jeopardy! in 2001. What is your favorite book? There are so many! I'll say Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. What is your favorite color? I have two: black and gold, of course :) Where is the coolest place you have traveled? I've been to a lot of cool places, so this is tough. I think Ecuador, because in one small country there is so much to see and do. Beaches, mountains, and rainforest all within hours of each other. What are your hobbies? Traveling, reading, working out to name a few. I play the saxophone and love going to Hawkeye events. Describe yourself in three words: Passionate. Witty. Strategic. Upcoming Programs Celebration of the 33rd Anniversary of the Signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act Reyma McCoy Hyten will discuss how historically, access to initiatives intended to center people with disabilities has unintentionally created disparities that multiply-marginalized members of the disability community. The program will offer an opportunity to discuss how access to necessities like food, housing, healthcare, and transportation are impacted by the degree of underrepresentation an individual experiences and to explore systems-based solutions that can create a more inclusive society. The program takes place at noon on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. Preregistration is required. You can register at this link. 7/14/23, 10:19 AM The Lens - July 2023 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/3624503 3/4 Beyond the Land Acknowledgement: Higher Education, the Occupation of Native Nations, and "Land Back" The Office will host educator Megan Red Shirt-Shaw at noon on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. Red Shirt-Shaw will discuss how land acknowledgments have become a powerful introduction to convocations, graduations, meetings, and conferences in higher education, but that institutions must challenge themselves to move away from encouraging acts that are just performative into commitments of transformative change. Preregistration is required. You can register at this link. If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in these events, please call 319-356-5022 or email humanrights@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Spot The Hot Iowa City’s Climate Action office is recruiting drivers and navigators for Spot the Hot, an urban heat mapping campaign. Spot the Hot is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Urban Heat Island (UHI) mapping campaign, where residents across the country drive a pre- determined route at 6 a.m., 3 p.m., or 7 p.m. with a sensor attached to their vehicle, which will record temperature, humidity, location, and time once every second. UHIs are hotspots where temperatures are higher due to lack of tree cover, extensive pavement, or other factors. They can be up to 20° F hotter than nearby neighborhoods. Information gathered to help map these areas can help local decision-makers better address the health impacts of extreme heat. UHIs are detrimental to public health because they create heat pockets which often disproportionately impact the most vulnerable. Since both Iowa City and Cedar Rapids were impacted by the 2020 derecho the loss of tree cover could be associated with more heat. Interested residents are asked to fill out a volunteer form indicating whether they prefer to be a driver (providing their own vehicle), a navigator (paired with a driver) or have no preference. Residents can request a specific partner, but each person needs to fill out the volunteer form. Because the goal of this project is to collect data on one of the hottest days of the year, the data collection date will be determined by the National Weather Service, and not known until sometime in July, with a 3–7-day notice; the date will be chosen from the following: July 7, 8, 9, 21, 22, or 23. Volunteers will be required to participate in a training prior to the campaign and will receive a $15 gift card for attending the training, completing a knowledge check, and being “on call” to participate. Volunteers who are chosen to participate in the campaign as either a driver or navigator will receive a $50 gift card after the campaign day. For more information visit www.icgov.org/SpotTheHot or email Megan Hill at mhill@iowa-city.org. 7/14/23, 10:19 AM The Lens - July 2023 https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAIOWA/bulletins/3624503 4/4 Questions? Contact Us STAY CONNECTED: SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Preferences | Unsubscribe | Help Powered by Privacy Policy | Cookie Statement | Help