NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- This week, the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) office, in partnership with the NCAA's Office of Inclusion, held several town hall discussions with conference student-athletes and administrators on social justice and inclusion.

The CCIW's student-athletes and administrators were joined by NCAA Director of Inclusion Niya Blair Hackworth (Pictured Right), who served as the moderator for all three sessions.

Blair Hackworth has spent the last year with the NCAA's national office, leading, partnering and assisting the membership in diversity- and inclusion-related initiatives, focusing on race and ethnicity, and student-athletes with disabilities for member institutions and the NCAA national office staff. 

“Supporting student-athletes in events, such as the CCIW Town Hall, is one example of how the NCAA Office of Inclusion seeks to cultivate a culture of belonging by engaging in conversations that brings heighten awareness of the diverse experiences of student-athletes," Blair Hackworth said. "Engaging student-athletes in discussions on social justice and inclusion helps reinforce the power of student-athletes' voices and further educates and empowers them to take part in the shared responsibility of creating inclusive environments on their teams and within their athletic communities.”

Student-athletes shared their feedback on ways to create a more inclusive environment within their own teams, athletics department and the CCIW as a whole.

Going forward, the CCIW will work with its member institutions and the NCAA national office to provide resources in the areas of inclusion and social justice.

"We were energized by the student-athlete engagement in these town hall sessions and look forward to working with these student-athletes as they continue to lead on their campuses to create positive change.” stated CCIW Executive Director Maureen Harty.
   
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL).