Iowa State students can learn cross cultural relations while sharpening their communication skills through an upcoming workshop hosted by the Cultural Kaleidoscope Peers.

The group will be hosting two sessions of an open workshop entitled “Enhancing Interracial Communication” on April 9 from 4 to 6 p.m. and at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Pine Room of the Memorial Union.

The workshop’s central focus is avoiding misinterpretations within cross-cultural communications.

“We strive to share cultural norm information to improve people’s communication skills,” said Suzanne Zilber, co-coordinator of the Cultural Kaleidoscope Peers.

Zilber said although the workshop will be similar to one presented in April 1997, its structure will not parallel last year’s.

“The content is pretty much the same, but we’ve improved on the format to make it more interactive,” she said.

Zilber said presenters for the workshops, who will be paired interracially, will review three factors that influence intercultural communication: communication styles of five ethnic groups, power differences and cultural identity stages.

“These are the three [factors] that we think influence communication,” said Jennifer Kubik, co-facilitator of the workshop’s first session.

Kubik is one of 15 students who belong to the Cultural Kaleidoscope Peers. She said students who comprise the group represent various ethnicities and backgrounds.

Zilber said the students, are employees of the Student Counseling Service.

Amanda Broadnax, member of the Cultural Kaleidoscope Peers, said she has benefited from her involvement with the group.

“It gave me a lot of motivation to go out and talk to people about cross-cultural issues,” Broadnax said.

In addition to hosting the open sessions of the workshop, the Cultural Kaleidoscope Peers regularly present “Enhancing Interracial Communication” to students, faculty and staff upon request. Zilber said the only stipulation is that the group consist of six or more individuals.

Zilber added that the workshops have drawn positive responses from participants who are given an opportunity to make comments and suggestions.

The Cultural Kaleidoscope Peers also offer a 50-minute workshop called “Becoming a Cultural Explorer” to freshman orientation classes. In addition, the group has recently developed a workshop entitled “Enhancing Communication in a Global Village.”

Zilber said the group also is trying to offer “Enhancing Interracial Communication” as an open workshop every semester in the Memorial Union.

For more information about the workshop, or to sign up, individuals can call 294-5056. Space is limited to 25 participants per session.

The workshop sponsored by Student Counseling Service, Multicultural Task Force, Women’s Center, Student Activities Office, Dean of Students Office, YWCA and Minority Student Affairs.