Culture as the catalyst to equity
What does it mean to be a cultural broker?
It is our belief that any professional whose role is to serve groups with marginalized identities and experiences must understand how to discern, articulate and pursue a culturally responsive partnership to address the most compelling needs of that community.
​
Cultural Brokering exists within the framework of equity as an intervention to bridge the gulf between two cultural worlds for the purpose of reducing conflict manifested as disparities and to effect meaningful and sustainable change.
Because no two groups possess the same level of confidence and trust in a system; and because a truly equitable approach must be as unique as the consequent needs its attempting to address.
Understanding cultural brokering as a framework and utilizing it as an approach can help providers mitigate against incompatibilities between the provider and the community its serving.
The Westside Cultural Broker Academy equips social service professionals, educators, policy makers and other community-serving practitioners with the tools to appropriately bridge systems and resources with their unique target population utilizing culture as the catalyst to equity.
Why does it matter?
About Us
The Training
We offer bi-monthly learning opportunities to providers interested in the following fundamental frameworks as pillars of cultural brokering. Participants will earn a "Tenants of Cultural Brokering" certificate upon completion.
​
Frameworks
• Critical self reflection - Examining our self concept, the social categories we hold true and how they shape and influence our role as providers within institutions that produce social locations of disadvantage and privilege
• Radical Contextualization of Institutional Arrangements as Social Determinants Critically deconstruct the link between systems and outcomes where we examine institutional policies, programming and arrangements as the fundamental causes of inequity
• Building Blocks for Equity - Examine equity utilizing a socioecological model that considers the complex interplay between individuals, groups, relationship and community
​
The Intervention
Cultural Brokering - Cultural Brokering is what all providers do whether they are aware of it or not. How good or bad they are at doing it can mean the difference when attempting to effect change through programming, initiatives and policy To understand Cultural Brokering is to understand your role as a connector meant to bridge the gulf between distinct cultural worlds for the purpose of reducing institutional conflict and effecting community wide change.
About Us
Modules
We foster an intimate learning experience for practitioners interested in building their capacity around equity as a framework through cultural brokering as an intervention.
​
Participants are immersed in a 3-day training and must commit to all three days as the experience builds on itself through six 2.5 hour modules (2x modules a day).
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Interested in Specialized Support?
• Please contact us if you are interested in having us support your organization with a specialized training/ learning opportunity.
​
• We can provide a unique training experience for your team tailored to your specific interests and needs.
​
• Support in your organization's implementation of DEIA initiatives & programs.
​
​
* We get technical assistance requests regularly so our availability will be dependent upon the size and scope of your request/ project and whether or not we truly believe we are the right group to help you achieve your goals. Thank you for considering us!
About Us
My name is Angel Villasenor and I created the West Side Cultural Broker Academy. I am a Sociology Faculty with a background in Critical Race Theory (CRT) and have supported nonprofit organizations, school districts and local governmental entities in building capacity around concepts related to equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism (DEIA).
​
With almost 20 years experience as a community organizer, advocate and educator -and being Cultural Broker myself-I decided to organize what I’ve learned into these exclusive training modules. By merging theory and application into this intimate learning experience for current practitioners, we unpack what cultural brokering means and how to adapt it to unique environments to reduce disparities, improve outcomes and foster organic community partnerships.
​
We utilize a social ecology model to understand the following:
​
-
Critical self-reflection; understand your “entry-point” into the work and why it matters
-
Examining power and oppression locally to understand how intersecting systems of power produce lived race-gender-class and other social locations of disadvantage/ privilege and what that means for the population you serve
-
The role of cultural ideologies as cultural determinants and how to mitigate against cultural conflict through cultural brokering
-
Equity as healing-how to go beyond equity as a value set and operationalize it in the work
-
How to achieve reconciliation by developing an individualized plan to bridge the gulf between you and the community you serve
Because disparities equal gaps and cultural brokering builds bridges! Are you ready? It’s going to be intense but transformational!
Interest List
When you sign up for the interest list, you share your name, company/organization, title/position and contact email to receive an invitation to our bi-monthly Cultural Broker training opportunity.
​
Bi-monthly trainings brings providers together from government, education, nonprofit, health and other fields for a 3-day intimate learning experience. You sign up, we contact you and send you an invitation to participate.
​
There is limited space so reserving your spot early is important. The trainings culminate with participants receiving a Cultural Brokering certificate that certifies comprehension in Cultural Brokering and related topics/strategies.