At Somethings, we recognize the importance of addressing unconscious bias and fostering cultural awareness in our mentors. We train our mentors to understand and overcome their own biases, ensuring a supportive and inclusive environment for your teen. Here's how we approach unconscious bias and prejudice habit breaking in our training:

Understanding Unconscious Bias

We provide our mentors with a comprehensive understanding of what unconscious bias is and how it manifests in our thoughts and actions. Unconscious bias refers to the stereotypes, prejudices, or preferences that influence our behavior towards individuals or groups in ways that may be deemed unfair. Our mentors learn to recognize the indicators of unconscious bias, such as making assumptions based on appearance, clothing, or behavior.

Measuring Implicit Bias

We introduce our mentors to tools like the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to gain personal feedback on their own levels of implicit bias. This test helps raise awareness and highlights areas where biases may exist. By acknowledging that we all have biases, we empower our mentors to reflect on their own biases and work towards mitigating their impact.

Harm to Women and People of Color

Our mentors explore how unconscious bias harms women and people of color. Through discussions and educational resources, they gain insights into the negative consequences of bias and understand the importance of addressing and dismantling these biases to create a more equitable society.

Overcoming Bias Strategies

We equip our mentors with strategies to challenge and overcome bias. These strategies include calling out stereotyped views, seeking individualized information about people to counter stereotypes, reflecting on counter-stereotypical examples, adopting the perspectives of others, and increasing interactions with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Our mentors actively practice these strategies and explore real-life examples of how they can be applied in their own lives.

Reinforcement and Practice

We emphasize that bias-breaking strategies are most effective when consistently practiced. Our mentors understand that these strategies reinforce one another and become more ingrained with regular application. By encouraging ongoing reflection and practice, we ensure that our mentors continuously refine their awareness of biases and develop the skills to address them effectively.

Types of Bias

We educate our mentors about various types of biases, including conscious and unconscious biases. They learn about similarity bias, attribution bias, expedience bias, and experience bias. By understanding these biases, our mentors gain insights into how biases can shape their perceptions and decision-making processes.

By training our mentors in unconscious bias awareness and cultural sensitivity, we strive to create an inclusive and supportive space for your teen. Our mentors actively work on breaking prejudice habits, challenging biases, and promoting cultural awareness. Through ongoing training and self-reflection, our mentors are committed to providing an environment that respects and values diversity.

As part of our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement, we encourage you to explore the Implicit Associations Test (IAT) provided by Harvard University. This test can offer valuable insights into your own implicit biases and further enhance your understanding of unconscious bias.

Implicit Associations Test: You can take the Implicit Associations Test (IAT) at the following link: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/user/pih/pih/index.jsp

At Somethings, we believe in the power of education and self-reflection to foster understanding, empathy, and positive change. By addressing unconscious bias and promoting cultural awareness, we ensure that our mentors are equipped to support your teen in a way that respects their individuality and celebrates their unique experiences.