Happy Tuesday! For this week’s #HumandofIDP, we’re featuring two more of our EDUC 2610 co-facilitators, Christian Hall '20 and Ruju Dani ‘22. Here's what these two have to say about IDP and each other:
Why IDP?
Christian:
IDP has been a space on campus where I’ve been able to nurture my interpersonal skills within a dynamic, real world curriculum. In IDP we work as a unit to unpack current issues, using our communication tools to learn from each other and form a much deeper understanding of the world around us. I think this class is critical for anyone who is interested in policy, managing a team, and generally collaborating and connecting with a diverse group of humans.
Ruju:
There’s a lot of grey area when it comes to social issues and dialoguing about them. Though this idea of “no perfect answer” still overwhelms me at times, IDP gave me the space to embrace this complexity instead of continuing to use its presence as an underlying reason to not bother. The IDP community is like no other I’ve seen, full of people who care deeply about their work, their purpose, and their vision for a more equitable tomorrow. I feel so proud to teach and learn from them as well as alongside them.
What is your favorite thing about your co-facilitator?
Christian:
From the beginning, I’ve admired Ruju’s ability to blend a deep understanding of our curriculum with an impressive knack for noticing the details. Whether it’s a way to address in-session dynamics or strategy to add depth to our lesson plans, she seems to always have a brilliant idea to share.
Ruju:
Co-facilitating with Christian has been inspiring to say the least and I’m so glad I got to meet him. He actually co-facilitated the very first IDP workshop I attended during my freshman orientation, so this is a full circle moment of sorts for me! It’s so easy to tell that our students’ identity development means a lot to him; this work has developed into something very personal for him and it shows in the way he always thinks forward. When things don’t go according to plan, he’s quick to talk about how we want to approach things moving forward and what could be our plans B and C. On countless occasions, this has given me a new, refreshing perspective on the impact we’re working to create – and I’ve seen him bring out this instinct in other spaces he cares about on campus as well. In ways he probably knows and may not know, Christian inspires me to show up and facilitate with greater compassion
