Strategy Team Annual Retreat 2025

Members of CONECT’s Strategy Team and staff gathered on Sunday, June 22nd at St. Joseph’s of Stratford National Catholic Church for an annual Strategy Team Retreat. In keeping with CONECT’s stated goal to strengthen its anti-racist culture, the bulk of the meeting was devoted to anti-racist training led by Varissa McMickens-Blair of NOWWellspring Consulting. The five-hour session covered topics such as identifying and responding to microaggressions (defined as the verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership) and How can we walk through the world as antiracists today? Through interactive exercises, journaling, and small and large group discussion, participants were asked to dig deep into their own assumptions, stories, and contributions toward racist behavior. This is, by no means, the end of this often hard and vitally important work. CONECT will continue to offer opportunities to unpack our individual beliefs and stories to ensure our growth as an anti-racist organization. – Debra Tangarone