Executive Summary
Diversity in Psychology is an RSO that was created in response to the alarming lack of diversity and representation in the field of Psychology, and specifically within the Psychology department at the University of Washington. Our founding members noticed the large emphasis of the experiences of White people as the center of many class discussions as well as in media representations of mental health and mental illness. We established this RSO in order to tackle some of these issues of representation and education, and used this momentum to shape our first meetings around topics that bridged social in/justice and Psychology. We have led many community conversations about Microaggressions, Impostor Syndrome, our own “Seattle Affective Disorder”, and a discussion about “The Mis-Education of Mental Illness”, which focused on breaking the stigma that mental health and therapy aren’t for people of color. Through our meetings, we aim to create a focused group of students of color in the field. One aspect of our organization is connecting with members and groups in our community, and so we decided to extend our goals and ideas to high school students in the King County area who identify as people of color and who are interested in Psychology.This conference will be centered on familiarizing students with life at the University of Washington and highlighting the importance of people like them in the field. We aim to start this conversation at a young age because these students are most likely developing their identities and figuring out their part in society. The conference will be an all-day event, beginning at 9am and commencing around 4:30 pm. The day will consist of a Keynote speaker, a series of breakout sessions & workshops, lunch, an RSO fair, and a campus tour. We hope to have students leave the conference a little less nervous about attending college and inspired and educated on the diverse field of Psychology.