University of Kentucky College of Education Dean Julian Vasquez Heilig will lead participants in a free implicit bias virtual symposium beginning 5 p.m. today (Wednesday), April 28. The Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette, Bourbon, Harrison and Nicholas counties is hosting the event to offer tools to confront, reduce and eliminate this hidden bias.

“So often, we come to these conversations and we only identify the problem. In this talk, we are going to give participants five ways they can take action,” said Dean Vasquez Heilig, a professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation.

Vasquez Heilig’s keynote will open the Community Action Council’s symposium. Following his session, participants can select an industry-specific talk from the fields of education, economics, health care, housing, homelessness, and law and justice. The breakout sessions will cover how biases negatively impact those these industries serve.

Sponsors of the Community Action Council’s symposium include the UK College of Education, Fayette County Public Schools, LG&E and KU Foundation. Register at www.commaction.org/content/implicit-bias-symposium.