Womxn of Color Initiatives
Welcome to Womxn* of Color Initiatives (affectionately known as LUCES)! The spaces and programs we create are developed to support the lived experiences of Womxn of Color and their navigation of Loyola University Chicago. If you have any questions regarding our programming, Loyola University Chicago Empower Sisterhood Mentorship Program (LMP), or have any general questions regarding our Initiatives (either within CSIB, or within the university as a whole), please reach out to belonging@luc.edu. All messages will be considered confidential.
*The Womxn’s Initiatives community uses the term Womxn to be inclusive of all those that identify along the vast spectrum of womanhood regardless of gender presentation or sexual orientation. (i.e., cisgender & transgender women, gender non-conforming individuals, masculine of centered individuals).
History
The founding of the LUCES community (Loyola University Chicago Empowering Sisterhood) in 2008 was inspired by previous student efforts with a Black Women’s Leadership Retreat and the annual Women’s Day Conference on Loyola’s Campus. The call for a space centered around the experiences of Womxn*/ People of Color blossomed from those students' efforts. The LUCES community, mentorship program, and the larger initiative has contributed to the development of leadership, sisterhood, and educational success for many generations of Ramblers.
Mission
LUCES remains a valuable space for students, staff, and faculty who identify along the vast spectrum of womanhood regardless of gender presentation or sexual orientation. Our community’s core values are to provide spaces for womxn to cultivate solidarity, scholarship, and leadership.
Womxn of Color Initiatives Values:
- Build SOLIDARITY by creating a community of support through dialogue, social action, validation, sisterhood, and a celebration of different lived experiences and identities.
- Build SCHOLARSHIP through empowering women to embrace their academic and personal potential inside and outside of the classroom through mentorship from staff, faculty, returning students, and alumni.
- Build LEADERSHIP by creating opportunities for Womxn to enhance their leadership potential through service, advocacy, and professional development.
Events
All of our events are open to all Loyola students! Follow us on Instagram, join our group on LUCommunity, and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with our upcoming events.
Community Engagements
Community Engagements are programming events that we host throughout the year. Programming is created by our six undergraduate student leaders (LUCES Scholars) and centered around the support of Womxn of Color (WOC) experiences. Our events have ranged from discussions about Womxnhood and Mental Health awareness, Radical Self-Care, Community Wellness, Colorism, Feminist Theory, Imposter Syndrome, Intersectionality, and more. These events are open to the wider Loyola Community to engage in discussion and community.
Womxn’s Retreat
Womxn’s Retreat is a weekend long event that provides a brave space filled with meaningful dialogue, critical self-reflection, exploration of identity, educational workshops, and sessions centered on the lived experiences of WOC. This year, we will pilot a CSIB-wide retreat that offers sessions connected to LUCES.
LUCES Takes Action
LUCES Takes Action is a social justice committee aimed at connecting the LUCES community with service projects and organizations that align with our program’s mission and values within the greater Chicago-land area. In alignment with Loyola's Jesuit Values, we seek to be people for and with others.
LUCES Art Show
LUCES Art Show is a physical event that manifested from previous LUCES students' creation of the Kaleidoscope Journal. The Kaleidoscope was first introduced in 2014 and was centered on the experiences of Womxn/POC and provided a space for students to submit works of art to be published into living journals for all to read. Now, years later, the Art show provides a physical space for Womxn and those in support of the community to share their Art with the wider Loyola Community. The Art Show features an Art Gallery and interactive engagement opportunities such as performance pieces like singing, dancing, spoken word poems and much more.
LUCES End of Year Gala
LUCES End of Year Gala is the final event of the year for our community. The Gala is a formal end of the year celebration that recognizes all our community members including graduating students, outgoing and incoming LUCES student leaders, LUCES mentees and their mentors, and all those who engage in the LUCES space.
Mentorship
LUCES Mentorship Program (LMP) is our mentorship program that currently supports first year and transfer students at Loyola University Chicago. Upon application and acceptance into the mentorship program, mentees are paired up with a Peer Mentor and Staff/Faculty Mentor to support them in their navigation of Loyola University Chicago.
LUCES Mentees will have the opportunity to:
- Be matched with a peer mentor and staff or faculty mentor throughout their first year at Loyola. Most Peer mentors are past mentees of LUCES with significant institutional knowledge and understanding of resources.
- Engage in 1:1 monthly meetings with their mentors to build community, and identify supports and resources and engage in identity development.
- Participate in monthly engagements with the LUCES community centering identity development, social justice-based dialogues, resources and supports, as well as topics of interest related to the student experience.
- Attend the annual overnight off-campus CSIB Retreat
The LUCES Mentorship program and all other CSIB programming and initiatives are open to all Ramblers regardless of religion, race, color, sex, gender, or sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic.
Welcome to Womxn* of Color Initiatives (affectionately known as LUCES)! The spaces and programs we create are developed to support the lived experiences of Womxn of Color and their navigation of Loyola University Chicago. If you have any questions regarding our programming, Loyola University Chicago Empower Sisterhood Mentorship Program (LMP), or have any general questions regarding our Initiatives (either within CSIB, or within the university as a whole), please reach out to belonging@luc.edu. All messages will be considered confidential.
*The Womxn’s Initiatives community uses the term Womxn to be inclusive of all those that identify along the vast spectrum of womanhood regardless of gender presentation or sexual orientation. (i.e., cisgender & transgender women, gender non-conforming individuals, masculine of centered individuals).
History
The founding of the LUCES community (Loyola University Chicago Empowering Sisterhood) in 2008 was inspired by previous student efforts with a Black Women’s Leadership Retreat and the annual Women’s Day Conference on Loyola’s Campus. The call for a space centered around the experiences of Womxn*/ People of Color blossomed from those students' efforts. The LUCES community, mentorship program, and the larger initiative has contributed to the development of leadership, sisterhood, and educational success for many generations of Ramblers.
Mission
LUCES remains a valuable space for students, staff, and faculty who identify along the vast spectrum of womanhood regardless of gender presentation or sexual orientation. Our community’s core values are to provide spaces for womxn to cultivate solidarity, scholarship, and leadership.
Womxn of Color Initiatives Values:
- Build SOLIDARITY by creating a community of support through dialogue, social action, validation, sisterhood, and a celebration of different lived experiences and identities.
- Build SCHOLARSHIP through empowering women to embrace their academic and personal potential inside and outside of the classroom through mentorship from staff, faculty, returning students, and alumni.
- Build LEADERSHIP by creating opportunities for Womxn to enhance their leadership potential through service, advocacy, and professional development.
Events
All of our events are open to all Loyola students! Follow us on Instagram, join our group on LUCommunity, and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with our upcoming events.
Mentorship
LUCES Mentorship Program (LMP) is our mentorship program that currently supports first year and transfer students at Loyola University Chicago. Upon application and acceptance into the mentorship program, mentees are paired up with a Peer Mentor and Staff/Faculty Mentor to support them in their navigation of Loyola University Chicago.
LUCES Mentees will have the opportunity to:
- Be matched with a peer mentor and staff or faculty mentor throughout their first year at Loyola. Most Peer mentors are past mentees of LUCES with significant institutional knowledge and understanding of resources.
- Engage in 1:1 monthly meetings with their mentors to build community, and identify supports and resources and engage in identity development.
- Participate in monthly engagements with the LUCES community centering identity development, social justice-based dialogues, resources and supports, as well as topics of interest related to the student experience.
- Attend the annual overnight off-campus CSIB Retreat
The LUCES Mentorship program and all other CSIB programming and initiatives are open to all Ramblers regardless of religion, race, color, sex, gender, or sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic.