Oscar Castro, Trailblazer staff members attend NCAA Inclusion Forum

North Adams, MA- The 2017 NCAA Inclusion Forum was held in late April in Providence, RI and MCLA rising junior student athlete Oscar Castro (Men's Soccer) was fortunate enough to attend.  Castro joined a pair of athletic department members, Erica Li (Coordinator of Academic Success and Diversity) and Loren Stock (Coordinator of Student Athlete Development/Women's Basketball Coach) for the three day long conference.

The NCAA Inclusion Forum brings together higher education and intercollegiate athletics leaders and student-athletes passionate about improving the educational and professional environment for student-athletes, coaches and staff. Sessions engage on a broad range of topics related to policy, research and best practices that support racial and ethnic minorities, women, international student-athletes, LGBTQ and athletes with disabilities.

"The experience I had at the inclusion forum in Rhode Island was amazing," Castro stated. "I got to meet with people from schools all over the country, including athletes, coordinators, and very important people that work for the NCAA. Everything that I learned at the forum was very important, because all of the major topics, were on how inclusion is very important to have in all of our campuses."

Just a few of the topics covered at the forum are below:

• Seeking Common Ground: LGBTQ Inclusion and Religion in College Athletics
• Title IX at 45: An Overview of Key Issues Impacting Campuses
• Unpacking the Asterisk: Intercollegiate Athletics Experiences from Often Untold Racial and Ethnic Perspective
• Scoring Goals On and Off the Field - A Collaboration between Disability Services and Student-Athlete Support Services
• "Cómo Se What?!" Helping Translate the Cultural Divide for International Student-Athletes

For more information on the event, please log on to: 

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/events/2017-ncaa-inclusion-forum