Multicultural Events

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is proud to offer multicultural events throughout the academic year.

Contact: Christy Walker, Director of Diversity and Inclusion
cwalker2@cocc.edu or 541-383-7412.

Also see:
Latinx Featured Events | Native American Featured Events Ι Season of Nonviolence I Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month | Club Meetings

Native American Heritage Month - Nov. 2025

COCC is commemorating Native American Heritage Month with a lineup in-person events in November, including at the Bend, Madras, Redmond and Prineville campuses, all free and open to the public.

Storytelling, history, and a film screening, including ways to support Indigenous students and communities are all part of COCC's Native American Heritage Month.

The Nancy R. Chandler Lecture Series and the High Desert Museum present:

Beautiful Strengths of Indigenous Communities

Michelle Jacob, Ph.D. – Member of Yakama Nation, Professor of Indigenous Studies and Co-Director of the Sapsik’wałá Program, University of Oregon. Dr. Michelle Jacob emphasizes that understanding Indigenous history must go hand in hand with celebrating the vibrant contributions of Native peoples today. Rooted in Yakama traditions and the wisdom of Elders, her talk will highlight the resilience and brilliance of Indigenous communities while offering a message of hope, love, and collective strength to inspire a more connected and compassionate world.

Sunday, November 2, 1 p.m. Wille Hall, Coats Campus Center, COCC Bend Campus

Sliding scale pricing $0-$15.

Cocc.edu/foundation/cls

Amy Cullen Beading classes, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, 3pm to 4pm will be a beginner class, 25 spots will be open. Wednesday Nov. 19, 2025, 3pm to 4pm will be an intermediate class. Mazama hall room 207.

Book discussion of A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter. November 11 at noon to 1pm part one discussion will be on zoom. A zoom link will be emailed to those that registered. November 20, 2pm to 3pm, part two discussion will be in person on the Redmond campus, RTEC 124 as well as on zoom. Copies are available to check out on each campus as well as digital copies through Barber Library.

Friendly game about Native American history. Game begins November 3 and end on November 14.

Participants will be notified through email about prizes and answers will be posted to COCC Native American website on November 17.

Start Game Here

Throughout November, visit all four COCC campuses to learn about Native American Culture, resources and opportunities to get involved. Bend, Coats Campus Center; Redmond, Technology Education Center lobby; Prineville and Madras, front lobby.

For more information on these events, please contact Jeremiah Rector at jrector@cocc.edu.

Indigenous People's Day - October 13, 2025

Central Oregon Community College will honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day — Monday, Oct. 13 — with a free screening of the documentary “Uncovering Boarding Schools: Stories of Resistance and Resilience,” a film produced by OPB’s “Oregon Experience” series, from noon to 2 p.m. in the Bend campus’s Wille Hall.

The hour-long film traces the path of Klamath Tribes member Gabriann “Abby” Hall, an ethnics studies instructor at COCC, as she uncovers the history of her family’s experiences in Native American boarding schools, from the first generation that were forced onto a reservation to the current day. The film will be followed with a discussion led by Hall and Romaine Miller.
For more information, contact Jeremiah Rector at jrector@cocc.edu.

COCC formally adopted a land acknowledgement in 2020 to recognize and pay respect to the original stewards of the lands on which its campuses reside. To further this recognition, COCC in 2021 formally designated the second Monday of each October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

In advance of college events, persons needing accommodation or transportation because of a physical or mobility disability should contact Campus Services at 541-383-7775. For accommodation because of other disability, such as hearing impairment, contact Student Accessibility Services at 541-383-7583.

Latinx Heritage Month

2025 Latinx Heritage Month Events

Latinx Heritage Month is celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15, a period chosen to honor the independence days of several Central American and South American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua on September 15, Mexico on September 16, Chile on September 18, and Belize on September 21.

Originally the celebration was established as a week-long celebration by President Johnson in 1968. President Reagan expanded it to a month in 1988 to allow for a more comprehensive recognition of the significant contributions Hispanic and Latinx Americans have made to the United States.

We are proud to offer to you a unique opportunity to learn, explore, and celebrate the rich diversity of the Latinx culture. Throughout history, Latinx activists, writers, scientists, educators, musicians, athletes, entrepreneurs, and artists have left a solid legacy that continues to shape and enrich our nation. Join us in celebrating the Latinx Heritage at our upcoming events next month.

Because students do not start class until the end of September, at COCC we celebrate the whole month of October!

Culinary Traditions

Friday, October 17, 4 - 6 p.m.
Prineville Campus, room 119

Real Latin American food is flavorful and distinctive.
Join us to taste some of the delicious recipes that have
survived for centuries, while we share the stories
behind them.

Culinary student adding finishing decorative touches to a desert

Writing Your Name in Mayan Glyphs: A Workshop with Pedro Parra

Thursday, October 23, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Redmond Campus, Technology Education Center

Immerse yourself in the native writing system of the Maya civilization and learn how to write your name using Mayan glyphs, while listening to ancestral sounds of pre-Hispanic origin.

Space is limited, please RSVP to latinx@cocc.edu.

Pedro Parra

Traditional Healing Practices in Mental Health

Dr. Claudia Bisso-Fetzer

Friday, October 24, 4:30 - 6 p.m.
Madras Campus, room 114

This lecture explores the role of traditional healing practices in supporting mental health across Latin America. It examines cultural approaches to wellness, the integration of ancestral knowledge with modern mental health frameworks, and the ways these practices shape community resilience and identity.

Dr. Claudia Bisso-Fetzer

Lecture & Latin Ensemble Concert

Dr. Freddy Vilches
Professor at Lewis & Clark College, Portland OR

Tuesday, October 28, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Bend Campus, Coats Campus Center, Wille Hall

This lecture provides an in-depth analysis of the foundational contributions of Latin American communities to the historical and cultural development of the United States. Following the talk, the event culminates with a music performance that traces the stylistic development of salsa music, highlighting its rich fusion of African, Caribbean, and other Latin American contributions.

Dr. Freddy Vilches

In advance of College events, persons needing accommodation or transportation because of a physical or mobility disability should contact Campus Services at 541-383-7775. For accommodation because of other disability such as hearing impairment, contact Student Accessibility Services at 541-383-7583.

FORUMS ON RACISM

COCC is committed to continuing these important conversations and addressing systemic inequities. The forums will be held once per term. We invite you to share in this work and be a part of making changes in our communities so that we truly are a welcoming and inclusive place. Together we can make a difference!

COCC's Forum on Equity, Racism and Social Justice: Book Banning

April 24 4:00-5:00 p.m. PST

Forum on Racism: Why Are We Still Talking About Racism?

Speakers:

Laurie Chesley, COCC President, Central Oregon Community College
Erika McCalpine, Executive Director of Strategic Diversity Initiatives, Director DEI Lab, OSU-Cascades
Christy Walker, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, COCC

This event took place on January 24, 2021. View the recorded video below:

Forum on Racism: Addressing Counter Narratives of Racism

This event took place on November 8, 2021. View the recorded video below:

How the Pandemic has Disproportionately Affected the BILAPOC Community

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted BILAPOC (Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and other People of Color) communities. Join panelists from COCC's Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Office of Student Life for this virtual forum on the pandemic and the systemic inequities it has laid bare. COCC president Dr. Laurie Chesley will provide opening remarks, followed by a panel discussion and audience q&a.

COCC is committed to continuing these important conversations and addressing systemic inequities. We invite you to share in this work and be a part of making changes in our communities so that we truly are a welcoming and inclusive place. Together we can make a difference!

This event took place on Apr 19, 2021. View the recorded video below:

Addressing Racial Inequalities and Responding to Hate Speech

This virtual event took place in November 2020. In this video panelists and a community forum discuss topics that include stereotypes, prejudice and privilege as well as how to respond to hate speech.