Project stresses value of diversity

The project hopes to showcase the varied benefits of diversity to the Mahoning Valley.

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — Two groups of students at Youngstown State University have launched a project to make the campus and the community aware of stories of diversity in the Mahoning Valley.

PROMISE (People Respecting Others’ Minds, Ideas & Strengths Everyday) is a project of two classes of diversity management at YSU this semester.

The students gathered recently on the campus quad in front of Kilcawley Center, painting “The Rock” to reflect the meaning of PROMISE, staffing an information table in Kilcawley and enlisting the help of local radio personality Lucky Penny of JAMZ 101.9 to help them tell local stories of diversity on the air between noon and 2 p.m. that day.

They also produced chalk artwork related to the project on sidewalks around campus and created a Web site at www.ysu.edu/workplacediversity to help get their message out. Visitors to the site should click on the PROMISE link.

The students believe the Youngstown-Warren area is coming together to build a promising future, thanks to the collective efforts of residents and businesses.

Each person has a story, and the students created the PROMISE project to tell a few of them.

PROMISE has four goals:

ULearn how diversity can positively affect businesses.

ULearn what diversity has meant for the advancement of the people in our Valley.

URecognize the cultural needs that exist in our area.

UInform the local community of individuals who positively influence our area.