SPRINGFIELD – The Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley is now accepting enrollment for both their August in-person and Zoom programs.

The two day in-person Healing Racism programs are offered on Aug. 16 and 17 and again on Aug. 19 and 20. They will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Springfield Technical Community College Technology Park in the Corridan Center Conference Room.

For a limited time, these courses are available at a discounted rate of $475.

According to Vanessa Otero, director of the Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley, these sessions will give students a chance to deep dive into the history of racism, share their own experiences, listen to other’s experiences, reflect and make a commitment to build on anti-racism and equity.

Virtual sessions will also take place through Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These courses will be four parts and will run for two hours each. Online sessions were developed in 2020 at the Healing Racism Institute as a way to continue important discussions and growth during the pandemic. The next virtual sessions will begin on Aug. 3 and are $199 total.

Both in-person and virtual classes will be offered monthly and a full schedule of programs can be found on the Healing Racism Institute’s website.

Otero said that these courses will give people a safe space to talk about racism, learn how to work on themselves and help those around them.

“It’s an opportunity to have a conversation about racism where folks get a chance to be safe and where they don’t have to worry about making a mistake. Part of the issue with what’s going on now is that folks are afraid to ask questions and learn more and we’ve created a space where that is absolutely the case and it’s a learning space, it’s a learning community and one where we try to build and not pit against,” she said.

Those interested in learning more about the Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley or signing up for a program are encouraged to visit their website at https://www.healingracismpv.org.