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Training Programs and Products
Introduction to Jennifer Seron's Equitable and Inclusive Paradigm
This page is devoted to training and training-related documents. I've developed and implemented training in many settings: university, educational (institutions and homeschool), and governmental. Below find selected training programs and products I've created over the last few years. Please contact me here if you're interested.
My goal is to create training that embeds equity and inclusion within a sustainable, healthy program. Training should not only engage learners with content but also promote socio-emotional engagement, theory of mind, and confidence in their ability to apply the learning in their own unique ways within a healthy, sustainable community context. Training can not only model needed knowledge, skills, and abilities, but also can shift community ethos while inspiring personal growth.
Proposed Sample Training Unit for PB 21-03
Drafted Sample Training Unit for New Last-Resort Reassignment Policy
The U.S. federal government has long had a goal of hiring and retaining disabled employees; making reasonable accommodation for disability is a key tool. Since anyone can become disabled at any time, an employer's reasonable accommodation policy has potential to impact any or all federal workers at some point in their lives.
In 2022 on October 24th the Office of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior (DOI) revised the DOI's reasonable accommodation policy to include new procedures intended to improve retention of disabled employees facing reasonable accommodation, including reassignment as a last resort reasonable accommodation via Personnel Bulletin 21-03 (PB 21-03).
Using PB 21-03, Department of the Interior stakeholders should have a united approach and work together to achieve the goal of retaining every qualified disabled colleague in need of reasonable accommodation, including last resort reassignment.
I propose that the DOI train stakeholders to use PB 21-03 to improve disability retention, starting with last resort reassignment.
If you are a Department of Interior (DOI) human resources (HR) professional, a hiring manager, a disabled employee, ally, or employee resource group (ERG), please consider reading and reviewing the Path to Reassignment journey map that presents a simple visual (Seron, 2023). Please skim a short overview of a proposed sample training unit (Seron, 2023a) explaining the new last resort reassignment policy within Personnel Bulletin 21-03.
My goal in creating a PB 21-03 sample training unit is that all DOI employees, especially human resources such as Servicing Human Resources Officers (SHROs), recruiters, placement, disability coordinators, administrators, along with hiring managers, disabled employees, allies, and ERGs, should understand and more effectively apply the new reasonable accommodation policy from the Secretary of the Department of the Interior in regard to last-resort reassignment.
For example, were you aware that under the new PB 21-03 DOI reasonable accommodation policy, if there is an open, funded position (or soon-to-open within the next 30 days) at the same or lower level, with no higher promotional potential than the current position (Office of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, 2022, pp. 3, 29, 33) for which the disabled, permanent employee (up for reasonable accommodation of last resort reassignment) is qualified, then that qualified disabled employee must be placed non-competitively into that open position?
Also, were you aware that in addition an actual "search" (OSDI, 2022, pp. 29-30), at the start of the last-resort reassignment process each disabled reassignee should have an interactive discussion specifically related to that employee's "qualifications" and "options" (OSDI, 2022, p. 32) with whoever will be conducting their "search?"
Please note under PB 21-03 local and regional SHRO administrators are now responsible for DOI last-resort disability reassignment; thus, to provide equal employment opportunity to disabled reassignees, every administrative SHRO deserves training in how to conduct disability placement-related discussions with reassignees, how to improve resumes of disabled reassignees, etc. and how to conduct a last-resort disability reassignment search, including how to explain PB 21-03 policy to regional human resources staff and hiring managers.
Conducting a "search" is a specific skill that can be learned. "Search" is defined as "to look into or over carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something" (Merriam-Webster, 2023). "Search" entails much more than a SHRO emailing a resume to hiring managers and following up with a phone call. Please see the introduction to a sample training unit developed by Seron (2023).
To summarize, every Department of the Interior human resources employee and hiring manager, including Servicing Human Resources Officers, should be aware that disabled individuals facing last resort reassignment are eligible for non-competitive reassignment for only a brief 60 day window (30 days in their own bureau and 30 days across the Department of Interior) and that retention of disabled individuals is part of a broader federal mandate that will benefit not only disabled individuals and their families, but also our society.
In conclusion, by applying the new Department of Interior PB 21-03 rules, in addition to complying with administrative timelines, every stakeholder's actions will align with and further federal goals of retaining qualified disabled colleagues.
References
Merriam-Webster. (2023, December 16). Search [definition of transitive verb]. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/search
Office of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior-OSDI. (2022, October 24). Personnel Bulletin 21-03: Processing requests for reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/elips/documents/pb-21-03-processing-requests-for-reasonable-accommodation-for-individuals-with-disabilities-10-24-2022-508.pdf
Seron, J. (2023, December 3). Path to reassignment: PB 21-03 [Infographic journey map designed and created by JSeron using Canva]. Canva. http://tinyurl.com/ms55as7a
Seron, J. (2023a, December 3). Overview of PB 21-03 sample training unit: Stakeholder training to retain qualified disabled staff [Presentation proposal for online training unit designed and created by J. Seron using Canva]. Canva. http://tinyurl.com/3nt4wucc
Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands Certificate
Earned an Instructor Training Certificate
I recently obtained an online Instructor Training Certificate from Eppley Institute for Parks & Public Lands within the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, USA. This course was an excellent introduction to the training framework utilized by parks professionals. The course provided a great background to learning pedagogy for adults as well as gave students opportunities to apply their understanding of course materials through graded projects with feedback from our 100% online instructors. I am already applying what I learned in that course doing informal training with interested new seasonal employees! Check out the Eppley Institute online!
Dismantling Microaggression Training Unit and Video
Developed Robust Framework to Dismantle Microaggression
The term "microaggression" was first used and identified by Charles Pierce (1970) in "Offensive Mechanisms" in a book entitled "The Black Seventies." Recent scholars provide additional insight. See: Sue, et al. (2007, 2019), Williams (2021), and Williams et al (2021). Sue et al. (2007, p. 1) describe microaggressions as ‘the everyday verbal, non-verbal and environmental slights, snubs or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalised group membership’" (Harmer & Southern, 2021, 5-6). An example of an environmental microaggression at the personal, local, and cultural level are Confederate Monuments (Southern Poverty Law Center, 2021).
For the deployment version of our Training Unit group project, Dismantling Microaggression, see this link. For the YouTube video of just my part of this International Week group presentation we were invited to create with our professor Dr. Papia Bawa, see this link.
References
Harmer, E. & Southern, R. (2021). Digital microaggressions and everyday othering: an analysis of tweets sent to women members of Parliament in the UK. Information, Communication & Society, 24(14), p. 1998-2015. DOI: 10.1080/1369118X.2021.1962941
Pierce, C. (1970). Offensive mechanisms. In F. B. Barbour (Ed.), The Black Seventies (pp. 265–282). Boston, MA: Porter Sargent.
Seron, J. (2021, November 18). Microaggression in public spaces and historic places [Video with slideshow with art and narration by J. Seron using design elements and animation by Canva.com]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/SX0ibNj1YRI
Southern Poverty Law Center. (2021, February 1). Whose heritage? Public symbols of the Confederacy [article plus graphic timeline and map of Confederate monuments in the United States with screen shots taken by J. Seron on November 11, 2011 for educational purposes only]. https://www.splcenter.org/20190201/whose-heritage-public-symbols-confederacy
Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A., Nadal, K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271–286. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.62.4.271
Sue, D. W, Alsaidi, S., Awad, M. N., Glaeser, E., Calle, C. Z., Mendez, N. (2019). Disarming racial microaggressions: Microintervention strategies for targets, White allies, and bystanders. American Psychologist, 74(1), 28-142. doi: 10.1037/amp0000296. PMID: 30652905. https://content.apa.org/fulltext/2019-01033-011.pdf
Williams M.T. (2021). Racial microaggressions: Critical questions, state of the science, and new directions. Perspectives on Psychological Science. 16(5):880-885. doi: 10.1177/17456916211039209
Williams M. T., Skinta M. D., & Martin- Willett R. (2021). After Pierce and Sue: A revised racial microaggressions taxonomy. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16(5):991-1007. doi: 10.1177/1745691621994247
Novel "Post Card and Checklist On-the-Job Training"
Created Efficient, Effective, Just-in-Time New Hire & Seasonal Training!
To provide solid, peer-to-peer scaffolding for new trainees in frontline interpretive work, I created a novel on-the-job framework using "Post Cards" and simple checklists. Why? Institutional knowledge should be seamlessly shared with all new staff in meaningful, personally relevant ways! Over the last few years I became increasingly aware of the need, created the idea, got feedback from peers to improve the content and questions, then obtained permission from my supervisors to informally pilot the program in summer of 2020. My peer-to-peer "Post Card and Checklist On-the-Job Training" framework for new seasonal employees was successful and hopefully will be put into formal use in spring 2022. Please find a brief 5 minute YouTube video introducing Jen Seron's novel "Post Card and Checklist On-the-Job Training" framework for seasonal, new staff, volunteer, and intern training here.
Personally Relevant "Interp Bursts" Workshop
Presented Workshop at Great Lakes Park Training Institute (GLPTI)
In late February 2020, just weeks before the COVID-19 lockdown, Jen Seron presented a "Interpretation using Personally Relevant Interp Bursts" workshop at the Great Lakes Park Training Institute managed by Indiana University's Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands. The Great Lakes Park Training Institute has been held annually at Pokagon State Park in Angola, Indiana since 1947. GLPTI's mission is " the very best training and education programs that benefit all allied park and recreation agencies, professionals, and technicians at all levels by providing a learning environment to share new ideas, learn, and gain knowledge relating to successful operations, techniques, and methods in their respective fields."
Jen Seron developed Interp Bursts when she realized the need for quick engagements that would benefit all visitors, including those traditionally underserved visitors who might not otherwise participate in longer tours. Many families with small children, school groups, and those who have never engaged with interpretive staff can benefit from short, exciting 2-10 minute "bursts" of engagement that relate to their own reasons for visiting. After testing the interpretive tool for more than one year and informally training interested peers, seasonals, and new staff, Jen Seron created a workshop and training materials to share Interp Bursts with the broader interpretive community. Presenting at the 2020 GLPTI was a great honor, incredibly educational, and so much fun!
Note: During COVID-19 short visitor engagement became the norm since interpreters have needed to limit contact with visitors. Please contact Jen if you would like to learn more about Interp Bursts.
TA Training in On-Location Homeschool Science Classes
Trained TAs of all Ages to Facilitate Evolution-based Science
Over the years 2012 to present, Jen Seron, AKA Science Jen, taught on-location science classes within the secular New York City homeschool community. Her classes took place in Central Park and utilized resources within the American Museum of Natural History. Whenever Jen would teach a class she would not only gauge interest of students but also of potential TAs. Among the caregivers, Jen would also see if there were any parent helpers who wanted to facilitate or come along as chaperones. Every parent was welcome to tag along if they wanted. Science Jen enjoyed training teaching assistants and facilitating peer-to-peer teaching across age ranges by homeschooled children in Regents Earth Science Labs, Tween and Teen General Science, Elementary General Science. For example, one year an elementary-aged child wanted to be a TA so Science Jen created a PreK-1st grade on-location science class specifically so that the student could have the opportunity to be a TA and to share what they had learned with younger children. Science Jen is so proud of her students and TAs and wishes that every child who wanted to learn or teach science could have the opportunity!
During COVID-19 Science Jen was asked to teach online science and so she did, using Zoom. During the fall semester Science Jen also had a high school teaching assistant who facilitated with the course and was an excellent role model for the other students.
Sample of student work from preschoolers in science class with Jen Seron, AKA Science Jen.
About Jennifer
Experienced, Intuitive Trainer
I have been involved with training since high school when I became a certified Water Safety Instructor, and was myself trained in educational practice by Dr. Ed Dole at University of Illinois when I led discussion sections of Plant Biology 100 and 102 during my MS for studying climate change on rice for the EPA and IRRI,
In every environment I've analyzed needs, designed, developed, and implemented training, then with feedback from stakeholders I've improved the training iteratively. Even before I learned ADDIE I was intuitively using the framework to develop programs and training across sectors.
