The EDGE.edu Advantage© series goes beyond the basics of diversity, leveraging multimedia technology to create an individualized and highly interactive learning environment. Delivered through the Diversity University website, through your institution’s intranet site or via CD-ROM, the program engages the participant with a virtual workgroup of individuals who are diverse in many ways and have just been assigned to a newly created department. Each module is a 30-to-45 minute interactive learning experience of realistic interpersonal dynamics.

• Course 1: The Knowledge EDGE© The Knowledge EDGE© provides the business case for learning about differences and defines the term “diversity” in a way that is easy to understand and is inclusive of everyone. Users are introduced to their virtual work team, and begin to see that “diversity” is more than just the narrow concept that we have historically ascribed to the term.


• Course 2: The Awareness EDGE© This course reveals how we are all influenced at a young age by society’s tendency to “group” people together and assign specific characteristics to each group. Members of the team begin to reveal some of their personal experiences and how they have been impacted by the assumptions and stereotypes about their group. The team becomes more aware of the influential nature of society’s tendency to “group” people together, as they are given strategies to overcome barriers.

“We live in a global marketplace.” All educators hear this phrase, but rarely do we all stop to contemplate the true meaning of the academic role and responsibility in this global community, especially as it applies to preparing their students to deal with the diversity in their communities and in the U.S. workforce, not to mention their personal interactions within their colleges and universities. In 1950, there were 9 white people for every person of color. Today over one-third of the U.S. population is classified as minority and in kids under age 9, the percentage is even higher. The growing responsibility for organizations to embrace cultural differences and learn to leverage them has never been more of an imperative.