Applications for the 2018 Womxn of Colour Network retreat, held Sept. 22 to Sept. 23, close this Thursday, Sept. 6.

The event, organized by the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center, is an overnight retreat aimed at womxn of colour who are interested in building community and navigating resources at Iowa State University.

The retreat is open to “womxn who identify as Black/African Descent, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American, Multiracial or International students from similar aforementioned backgrounds to explore their cultural identities, shared experiences and discuss what it means to be a womxn of colour at Iowa State University,” according to the Sloss Center website.

While at the retreat, the attendees will have the opportunity to network with staff and faculty members of the Academic Success Center, multicultural clubs across campus and the multicultural liaison officers.

The event, now in its seventh year, has been at maximum capacity for the past three years. Som Mongtin, the assistant director at the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center, is not surprised by the increasing number of applications due to the overwhelmingly positive response from previous event attendees.

“[The retreat] is known to be transformational, in terms of having a space to talk about things you didn’t know you needed to talk about. There are people there who validate and understand you and your experiences,” Mongtin said.

In response to the growing interest, the Sloss Center has decided to add events throughout the academic year for students who are not selected to attend the retreat.

For more information about Womxn of Colour Network or about upcoming events, visit the Sloss Center website.