The Cultural Bridges program offers a series of trainings to students, staff, and faculty to expand their awareness, knowledge, and skills related to effectively serving students and stakeholders with a broad variety of experiences and backgrounds. The workshops offered are open to all MSU students, staff and faculty. A certificate for completing the Cultural Bridges workshops will be offered in the future. Presently, the program remains in development and requirements for the certificate are still being determined. 

 

**Note: Many of the Cultural Bridges workshops incorporate elements from an experiential affective learning model rooted in recognizing that learning occurs through many channels that include the intellectual, emotional, relational, and experiential. Expanding self-awareness may appear as part of the learning objectives, and as such, include experiential and/or interactive discussion activities rooted in self-reflection and self-disclosure of personal information. Confidentiality is asked of all individuals who particpate. The degree of self-disclosure is at the discretion of each participant. 

Fall 2026/Spring 2027 Cultural Bridges Workshops

For questions related to the Cultural Bridges program or upcoming workshops, contact Mariah Hill at hill@montana.edu or 994-4531.
Date Workshop Registration link
Monday, October 19, 12-3pm Bridges to Access Registration
Monday, November 2, 1-4pm Bridges to First-Generation College Students at MSU Registration
Tuesday, February 9, 12-3pm Bridges to Veteran Students at MSU Registration

 

**NOTE FOR FACULTY** To receive credit for participation in Cultural Bridges workshops, faculty should download and complete Request Center Credit Form and submit to the Center for Faculty Excellence at cfe@montana.edu. Forms should be submitted immediately after attendance rather than all at one time.

Descriptions of Cultural Bridges Workshops

Bridges to Your Cultural Lens

In this workshop participants will learn about the ADDRESSING and Big 10+ cultural models.  Participants will have an opportunity to explore and apply these models to understand more about themselves and others.  Intercultural literacy skills will also be introduced and participants will have an opportunity to practice.

Bridges to First-Generation College Students at MSU

In this workshop participants will learn what first-generation college student (FGCS) actually means as well as current national and local trends and best practices to better support FGCS at MSU. A student panel of FGCS will provide an opportunity to hear and learn directly about student experiences. Participants will leave this workshop with a better understanding of who FGCS are and their experiences as well as how to best serve them in their roles at MSU.

Bridges to Veteran Students at MSU

In this session, participants will learn about MSU Veterans Services and its services to students at MSU, trends in the post-9/11 era, and how these trends are affecting the veteran student body at MSU. A student panel of veterans and dependents will provide an opportunity to hear and learn directly about student experiences. Participants will also complete a military beliefs self-assessment to increase awareness of their perceptions and practice specific skills to better support the intellectual and personal growth of our student veterans.

Bridges to Access

This workshop focuses on how different cultural dimensions and systemic environments affect an individual's ability to participate in and benefit from campus resources. Through interactive terminology reviews, small group discussions, and a self-assessment, participants will explore how overlapping background factors create social advantages or barriers.  Finally, participants will identify specific access gaps and leverage their unique spheres of influence to expand access and drive meaningful campus change at MSU.