Joy and Creation
You Are Expansive Program at RAC
About:
Get ready for an inspiring evening of joy, creativity, and community! The MSW Student Board, Social Work Action Alliance, and Riverside Arts Center are thrilled to invite you to Joy and Creation, an evening of self exploration, expansion and celebration on December 13th from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm in the Off Center at Riverside.
Join us as we dive into self-exploration and expansion with an interactive presentation, inviting you to reflect on identity, gender, and social influences through art in a fun, supportive environment. Afterward, a panel discussion featuring members of the queer and gender expansive community will speak on issues of social justice and intersectionality. Capping off the evening will be a Drag Show featuring the talented performers from Haus of Justice!
Entry is $10 or a donation of at least 5 non-perishable items from the list below for Swoop’s Food Pantry. Bring cash to support our amazing drag performers and a raffle for a chance to win a basket of Swoop’s Swag! RSVP here or with the link above, so we know how much food to order.
Swoop’s Most Requested Items:
Rice
Pasta/Pasta Sauce
Seasonings
Ramen
Canned tuna/chicken
Beans
Shelf stable beverages
Menstrual Products
Condiments
Dental Hygiene Products
Details:
December 13th 5:30-9:30
Off Center
$10 or a donation of 5 nonperishable food items. Tickets are pay what you can to help offset event costs. Your contribution, big or small, supports our ability to provide this space for everyone.
All ages are welcome but minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Bios:
Kayla Skinner-Roy (she/her, You Are Expansive Program Founder) is an experienced social worker, artist, and educator who recently launched an art-based, community-centered education initiative at Riverside Arts Center that integrates expressive therapies, liberatory education, and the Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy model, called You Are Expansive (YAE). Prior to this, Kayla held positions as a case manager for families experiencing housing instability, sexual violence, food insecurity, and education concerns. Most recently, Kayla helped design an asset-based scholarship program for first-generation, limited-income (FGLI) undergraduate students at the University of Michigan, called the Kessler Scholars Program. As a FGLI, neuroqueer woman, Kayla knows firsthand the unique barriers and deficit narratives historically marginalized students encounter in their pursuit of education, and she is committed to creating innovative and humanistic learning experiences to empower and transform.
Laura Lee Smith (she/her, facilitator) is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan and a research associate at U-M’s Campus Abolition Research Lab. Laura Lee’s research interests include Race & Ethnicity, Race in Education, Critical Whiteness Studies, and Social Justice Education. She also specializes in dialogue facilitation and instructional design.
Jarell Skinner-Roy (he/him, facilitator) is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan and a research associate at the Campus Abolition Research Lab. Jarell’s current research examines the ways racially minoritized students conceptualize safety and security in the context of racialized policing and surveillance on college and university campuses. Prior to attending U-M, Jarell taught English in Benin, worked at an education nonprofit in Minneapolis, and led international programs abroad for high school students.