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3 Steps To Build An Inclusive Culture During Pride Month and Beyond

Home > Blog > 3 Steps To Build an Inclusive Culture During Pride Month & Beyond

3 Steps To Build An Inclusive Culture During Pride Month and Beyond

Inclusivity is the way in which a company makes its workplace feel welcome and supports individuals regardless of their differences. Forbes measures inclusion by a sense of belonging, connection and community at work. It’s really about how you feel connected to your workplace and the people around you. An organization that has mastered inclusion is one where people feel encouraged to bring their "whole selves" to work. Between voicing diverse points of view and finding a sense of connection to others, this is what makes inclusion real.

Importance of LGBTQIA2+ Inclusion

No matter the definition, inclusivity is an important part of unlocking an organization's full potential and LGBTQIA2S+ inclusion is an essential aspect of that. The constantly evolving acronym LGBTQIA2S+ (also referred to as LGBTQ+ or LGBTQIA+) stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, and the countless ways in which people identify. LGBTQIA2S+ communities in the United States have experienced discrimination and exclusion in the workforce for years. In 2021, 46% of LGBTQ workers reported receiving unfair treatment at some point in their careers because of their sexual orientation or gender identity — including being passed over for a job, harassed at work, denied a promotion or raise, excluded from company events, denied additional hours, or fired…

But data has shown companies that commit to diversity and inclusion efforts see a positive impact in all areas of the business including recruitment, retention, and revenue (SHRM). An inclusive workplace brings in fresh perspectives and helps employees perform at their best. 

Leaders must work to promote greater inclusivity all year round but a great opportunity to show equality and care is by honoring Pride Month.. the right way!

3 Steps To Build An Inclusive Culture During Pride Month and Beyond

Step 1: 

Identify what an inclusive workplace looks like 

  • Encouragement to share one’s voice
  • Feeling a sense of belonging
  • Having equal access to resources and opportunities
  • Fostering collaboration and valuing individual ideas/contributions
  • Supporting transparency in workplace decisions

 

Step 2:

Be Pride and Proud and Include Everyone

Pride Month is a time dedicated to celebrating the activism and achievements of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. 

In the United States, Pride Month takes place in June to honor the Stonewall Uprising that took place in June 1969 in New York City. The uprising led to a series of demonstrations by members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community due to police harassment and raids at the Stonewall Inn. 

Pride Month is an opportunity for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals and allies to unite and promote equality, inclusion, and acceptance of all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Most Pride events take place each year in June, although some cities hold their celebrations at other times of the year. Pride now takes place across the world and features events like marches, parades, educational sessions, and more! 

3 Steps To Build An Inclusive Culture During Pride Month and Beyond

The rainbow flag, which was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978, is now a symbol for the LQBTQIA2S+ community and can be seen throughout different parts of Pride Month events. In 2018, Daniel Quasar designed a new version of the flag to include Brown, Black, and Trans colors showing the support of the people of color and trans in the community. 

Pride Month is about representation of all. As your company looks to celebrate and honor Pride Month this year, it is important to remind ourselves that not all LGBTQIA2S+ share the same views or priorities. Individuals may belong to a certain community but they may not live the exact same life or share all the same views as the next. To have an inclusive workplace, means to understand the nuances and celebrate those differences with as many options and ways as possible.

Next, we share some ways to appreciate all identities within your workforce this Pride Month.

Step 3: 

Get Creative - How Can You Celebrate Pride Month This June

1. Show Your Support & Wear Pride colors 

Invite your workforce to wear Pride colors for the month of June. If you are in a remote setting, change your Zoom background to include Pride colors or a graphic like this: 

3 Steps To Build An Inclusive Culture During Pride Month and Beyond

Encourage team members to support LGBTQIA2S+ vendors, businesses, and local artists. You can find different LGBTQIA2S+ businesses even online here! 

2. Run a Social Media Campaign 

Share quotes from voices within the LGBTQIA2S+ community (including some not well-known) on your company's social media. Or invite your workforce to participate in a spotlight either featuring individuals who identify in the LGBTQIA2S+ community or who are allies. 

3. Donate to a Charity 

A few organizations you can contribute to are: The Human Rights Campaign, The Trevor Project, The Pride Fund to End Gun Violence, The National Center for Trans Equality, GLSEN, The National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network and so many more.

4. Host a Virtual Live Game Show with Luna Park

We’ve created an incredibly fun and educational game show hosted by professional comedians. In our virtual live shows, you and your team can celebrate Pride month with our one-a-kind Pride themed games! Check out our game, “Tune Time”, where your team works together to name a well-known Pride Anthem before the title is revealed. Luckily, you will have some super cool clues along the way to help, and the clues also are facts related back to LGBTQIA2S+ culture! Book a live event today! 

 

5.Encourage Ongoing Education and Understanding

Provide opportunities for ongoing educational opportunities. These could include sharing best practices or articles in Slack. Or organizing a traditional virtual training session. Here are a few topics that are helpful to know and educate on:

  • Historical facts and language from the LGBTQIA2S+ community 
  • Using correct pronouns 
  • Avoiding unconscious biases
  • LGBTQIA2S+ rights around the globe
  • Allyship at work
  • The different identities and what they mean
  • The different Pride flags and which each flag represents

Another great option is to book speakers from the community. Here is a list of a few to reach out to:

  1. Elisa Glick, PhD
  2. Max Siegel
  3. Madison Butler
  4. Liam Paschall
  5. Shannon Wong Lerner, Ph.D.
  6. Magda Stega
  7. August Rocha
  8. Leo Caldwell
  9. Ethan Levine
  10. Yeong Cheng (they/them)
  11. Gabrielle Claiborne
  12. Rebecca Minor, LICSW
  13. Ash Ramirez (they/elle/papi).                                                                                                                                                                                                         

6. Form or Encourage Participation in Employee Resources Groups 

Employee resource groups (ERGs) often offer programs or hold events that help drive employee engagement, and ultimately mitigate employee turnover. These resource groups provide support for employees of various backgrounds, while allowing individuals to come together under common values and interests. For example, Squarespace is a company that is committed to fostering a positive workplace environment for their LGBTQIA2S+ identifying employees and allies. The company has established two ERGs, Queerspace and TransAt, to help support the community with a variety of educational events, fundraisers, and annual awareness days. Additionally, Squarespace offers gender-neutral restrooms and provides coverage for gender affirming health care as part of its comprehensive medical benefits package.

7. Encourage employees to attend local events

3 Steps To Build An Inclusive Culture During Pride Month and BeyondMarch for the right cause in your local area! Check out a few of these historic parades: 

 

8.Create a shared playlist that emphasizes the theme of Pride 

Spotify has a ton of great playlists highlighting different genres of LGBTQIA2S+ artists! Get your team in the Pride mindset through these shared playlists. 

Build an Inclusive Culture The Right Way

Pride Month is just one opportunity to show your workplace that you care but it is important to avoid “rainbow washing” - meaning giving superficial support of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, often for marketing and PR purposes, without taking concrete actions to actually assist members in that community.  

Full inclusion of all means more than just celebrating one month of activities. It requires constant efforts of elevating LGBTQIA2S+ voices, providing opportunities for educating and trainings, creating pro-inclusion policies, and so much more! In order to best understand if you have an inclusive culture, create opportunities for team members to give feedback on your inclusion efforts either through 1-on-1’s or pulse surveys or committees. Be ready to adjust based on what you find. 

If you need guidance or advice, we recommend attending this amazing webinar: https://circlein.com/resources/beyond-rainbow-washing-how-to-show-up-for-your-lgbtqia-employees/

 

How To Honor AAPI Heritage Month in Your Workplace

Home > Blog > How To Honor AAPI Heritage Month in Your Workplace

How To Honor AAPI Heritage Month in Your Workplace

During the month of May, we have the privilege to honor and celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage and the contributions, history, and achievements the community has made in the United States. In order to accurately appreciate AAPI Heritage Month, we must first understand the why and the who...

What is AAPI Heritage Month?

May was officially designated as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in 1992 to celebrate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1943 and the Chinese laborers’ large contribution to building the transcontinental railroad, which was finished in May 1869. It is a time to recognize and celebrate the diversity and cultural richness of over 23 million Americans in the United States

The term AAPI is an acronym for Asian American and Pacific Islander. In 1997, the White House Office of Management and Budget made the two terms “Asian” and “Pacific Islander” two separate racial categories. Specifically, the U.S. Census Bureau classifies people of Asian descent as “having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent,” including, but not limited to China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, India, Cambodia, Vietnam or the Philippines.

While, Pacific Islanders are people who descended from the islands of Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. This classification includes but is not limited to people from Native Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti, Guam, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea.

AAPI communities include approximately 50 distinct ethnic groups speaking over 100 languages. Regardless of the origin, AAPI Heritage is celebrated all over the United States not just in the month of May but year-round. Many communities find solitude and come together to support one another through gatherings, celebrations, and storytelling.

We aspire to promote greater understanding and appreciation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in American society this May. A great place to do this is within your companies and organizations.

How to Honor and Celebrate AAPI Heritage In Your Workplace

As we honor AAPI Heritage Month throughout May, we look to bring together our organizations and celebrate the unique culture, history, and experiences of the community. To best achieve this, there are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Be Proactive. Plan Your Programming Ahead of Time - In order to truly honor DEI moments, start planning ahead of time. Set your intention and what you want to achieve during this time. Keep that philosophy in mind while you brainstorm ideas on how you want to celebrate or raise awareness. This plan should not just be for the month of May but for 365. Planning last minute can seem less authentic.
  2. Be Authentic and Intentional - Employees must feel included, represented, and safe. When we work to bring awareness to marginalized communities, we have to keep in mind the specific nuances and experiences of the group and be conscious of how we celebrate that.
  3. Involve the Community In Planning - Bring a few ideas to team members who represent the AAPI community and understand their wants and needs. Leave room for them to suggest what they think feels authentic to them or not. Another strategy would be to create a culture committee for your year-round DEI moments.

Now that we have our intentions set, it is time to start brainstorming some amazing ideas on how to celebrate and honor AAPI Heritage this month! Luckily, we have some suggestions for you:

Unique Ways to Appreciate AAPI Heritage in Your Hybrid Workplace

Educate and Raise Awareness

Facilitate Lunch & Learns 

Host an optional in-person or virtual show & tell. Ask your employees from the AAPI community if they would like to share and demonstrate something about themselves. One idea may be a cooking session where they prepare a dish from their home or show and tell an item that represents their heritage. Create a space that feels safe, optional, and specific to the person.

If you have the budget, hire a speaker to present on a topic. The Rise Journey brings incredible live presentations with speakers on a range of topics. For $2,200.00, your team can hear an amazing presentation on how to "Elevate your AAPI Leaders".

Screen a television show, movie, or documentary from the AAPI community. Good Docs provides a list of incredible documentaries to watch for AAPI heritage month here.

Asian protestors on the street

Host a Virtual Class

Take Chinese Calligraphy for beginners with Udemy. Only $16 per person and your team can learn from 3 hours of on-demand instruction.

Learn all about Yoga. Mindbody has virtual live and on-demand yoga classes. Take a mental break from work and practice the art of Yoga.

All About Yoga: Poses, Types, Benefits, and More | Everyday Health

Create a Living Document

Crowd-source and share a Google doc or spreadsheet with a list of books, films, tv shows, or music created or featuring people of the AAPI community. It can be updated year-round and re-shared in the weeks prior to May.

Take over Slack

An employee can take over a different channel each week and share ways they celebrate their heritage. Again, invite employees to honor in ways that feel comfortable to them and make it optional.

Share AAPI educational resources through existing channels such as:

Engage in Local AAPI Community-Based Educational Events

Do some research in your local area to find educational opportunities to learn more about the AAPI Community. For example, the New York City parks department offers free history tours and other outdoor events. Such as the Nature Calligraphy walk in the Bronx.

Virtually Visit Museums and Locations Featuring AAPI History and Art

 

Celebrate & Give Back

Encourage Employees to Attend a Local Parade or Culture FestivalHow To Honor AAPI Heritage Month in Your Workplace

    • Seattle Center Festal Asian American Heritage Month Celebration on May 6th
    • San Diego AAPI Cultural Festival on May 20th
    • Austin, Texas CelebrAsia Festival on May 13th
    • New York City Asian Pacific American Cultural Parade May 21st

Host or Attend a Food Festival with Vendors from the AAPI Community

In the Los Angeles area, the county is hosting a Food Fest for AAPI Heritage month. If you have offices or team members working in person, you can host a potluck with vendors from your local community.

For our remote teams, offer free lunch one day during May and send each team member an Uber Eats or Door Dash credit. Encourage them to purchase lunch from a AAPI-owned business.

Host a Virtual Game Show with Luna Park!

The true art of celebration is having fun & spending time with your team and community. Here at Luna Park, we’ve created an incredibly fun and educational game show hosted by professional comedians on a platform purpose-built for an interactive game show. What better way to celebrate AAPI community than by playing games and learning about AAPI heritage! Here are some examples:

First off, we honor AAPI history with our  "Who Did It First" game. In this game, players combine their knowledge to match the notable AAPI icon to the famous first achievement. Together, we celebrate the achievements of the AAPI community and the impact they have had on the world.

How To Honor AAPI Heritage Month in Your Workplace

Now your team is thoroughly educated on AAPI history, it is time to play - "It's Customary". Traditions and customs are an important part of the AAPI community, offering a glimpse into the history and ways of this unique and diverse demographic.  In this game, players will use reasoning, logic and geographical knowledge, in order to fill in the missing word from a particular country's custom.  

How To Honor AAPI Heritage Month in Your Workplace

Support AAPI Locally Owned Businesses

Encourage team members to take a tour around their neighborhoods to support AAPI locally owned businesses or shop online at the list we have provided here.

Celebrate A Team Member Through Company Social Media

Ask to spotlight the individual and share the ways they honor their culture. Making it super optional is key!

 

Ideas From Companies We Love

Ana Castillo, Sr. People Operations Analyst from ShortCut, answers the following questions:How To Honor AAPI Heritage Month in Your Workplace

1.In what ways is your organization celebrating AAPI Heritage Month this year?

To celebrate AAPI Heritage Month this year, our organization has created a month-long calendar full of ideas for honoring AAPI culture and history. Suggestions include reading articles, listening to podcasts, and more. Additionally, we are hosting several virtual events to recognize the achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, such as a tea tasting and a trivia game.

2. How are you involving and celebrating the individuals at your company who might identify as a part of the AAPI community?

We encourage all our employees to share their ideas/stories during our monthly diversity and inclusion meetings and have created a safe space for them to express their experiences.

3. What do you think is the best way to be authentic around celebrating DEI moments like this?

Use the opportunity to learn more about the DEI topics being discussed and the individuals involved, and be willing to listen and engage in constructive dialogue. We did a lot of research to put our AAPI Heritage Month calendar together, taking the time to be intentional with educating ourselves and being thoughtful in the content being shared. We also open it up to anyone in our D&I committee to share/edit the content in the calendar before sharing it company-wide.

How To Honor AAPI Heritage Month in Your Workplace

Erin Williams, Employee Experience Lead answers the following questions:
1.In what ways is your organization celebrating AAPI Heritage month this year?
We are having a film discussion of Everything Everywhere All at Once, hosting and interview with Jeff Yang about the rise and importance of the AAPI community pop culture, doing slack takeovers each Tuesday celebrating different aspects of the AAPI Heritage (cooking, photos, history, etc), we are also sending out a newsletter with different AAPI business to support this month (and always).
2. How are you involving and celebrating the individuals at your company who might identify as a part of the AAPI community?
With the planning, we defer to our AAPI ERG and we work together with them to create programming based on what they want. The last thing we would want to do is assume that the programming our AAPI colleagues would want.
3. What do you think is the best way to be authentic around celebrating DEI moments like this?
I feel the best way to be authentic in celebrating these DEI moments is to listen. In my role, I get to work closely with all ERGs to create company wide, and sometimes just ERG specific, programming. What I think would be good, is not always what is wanted or needed form the group I'm supporting, so just sitting back and listening is incredibly impactful. As a white woman, I feel it is important that rather than speaking for a group, I hold up the metaphorical microphone so that their voices can be amplified. And then, I can work my employee experience magic and make these ideas come to life!

Luna Park Honors a Few of Our AAPI Colleagues

During AAPI Heritage month, we celebrate the countless contributions our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) colleagues have made to our nation. Join us in honoring the heritage of our AAPI colleagues right here at Luna Park.

How To Honor AAPI Heritage Month in Your Workplace

Boen Jiang - He/Him

Role: Director of Product Design. Heritage: Chinese/China/East Asian. First generation immigrant.

In what way do you personally celebrate or honor your heritage? 

Celebrate Chinese festivals with my friends and family. Food is a big part of my culture, making dumplings together is something we always do during the festival. I also attend Asian themed events and parties (in NYC) which celebrate Asian culture and LGBTQ+ identity.

What is your favorite memory of a time you were able to honor or celebrate your heritage?

One of my favorite memories is my mom teaching my husband (who is White American) how to make dumplings. Now my husband is pretty good at it and he teaches my friends the technique he learnt from my mom. Seeing people sharing and celebrating the culture together is the most beautiful thing.

How To Honor AAPI Heritage Month in Your WorkplaceTravis Long - He/Him

Role: Head of Business Development. Heritage: Half Filipino/Irish.

In what way do you personally celebrate or honor your heritage? 

Although my mother and I rarely get to celebrate together, when we do we always connect over food. Pancit, fresh Lumpia, and don't get me started on the Chicken Adobo.

What is your favorite memory of a time you were able to honor or celebrate your heritage?

My favorite memory is seeing my mom spend time with one of her Filipina friends Betty. The filipino community is quite small in northeast Ohio. So seeing her connect and share similar experiences from their country is something that I'll never forget.

Celebrating & Honoring AAPI Heritage Today & Everyday

Celebrating AAPI heritage month brings attention to the unique culture, histories, and experiences, and it helps to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions and achievements of this community.

It also provides visibility and representation for Asian American individuals, who have historically been underrepresented in many areas of society. Now, more than ever, we must stand up and proudly celebrate the diversity that makes our country stronger. With these ideas and inspiration, your organization can foster a meaningful and appreciative AAPI Heritage month.

 

9 Ways To Celebrate Earth Day With Your Hybrid Teams

Home > Blog > 9 Ways To Celebrate Earth Day With Your Hybrid Teams

9 Ways To Celebrate Earth Day With Your Hybrid Teams

Go Green With Your Team

On April 22nd, we recognize and celebrate the place that we call home no matter where we are, Earth. Earth Day is an opportunity to Go Green with your team and we have a few ideas to get you started. Before we tell you how you can make an impact, we should start with the basics…

What is Earth Day?

Earth Day was officially first celebrated in 1970 and the significance of the holiday has remained the same today. It recognizes and raises awareness for environmental protection all over the world. The celebration of Earth Day signifies the responsibility we have to preserve Earth’s natural resources for generations to come.


It seems there are new ways of celebrating this event each year but the goal is all the same, how can we make an impact? We have a few ideas to get you and your team started in a remote or even in-person workplace.

9 Ways To Celebrate Earth Day With Your Hybrid Teams

1. Host A Lunch and Learn

Education is one of the most important ways to raise awareness. Some of your team might not even know much about topics like how to recycle or what climate change looks like! Hosting a Lunch and Learn with a speaker is an amazing way to educate and you can make it fun! Organizations like TreePeople offer virtual lunch and learns where they bring in an expert and present on various environmental topics. You can invite an unlimited number of guests for $750.00.

Another way is to lead your own L&L with the help of The Nature Conservancy's free education resources. They have a learning platform with videos and a teacher guide to assist you.

2. Plant A Tree With Your Team ????

If you meet in person, you can work with an organization like TreePeople to plant a tree in the Southern California area with your team! They have a volunteer calendar where your team can choose a date and use their sign-up link to participate! If you are in the New York City area, you can partner with Trees New York for a corporate event simply by emailing them at info@treesny.org!

9 Ways To Celebrate Earth Day With Your Hybrid Teams

3. Send a box of sustainable snacks

I mean who doesn’t love super yummy snacks?! An amazing way to celebrate Earth Day this year is to send some snacks that are good for you and the environment. Check out SnackMagic to build a customizable box of snacks or goodies from their menu of very healthy and sustainable options. They partner with brands like Bobo’s or Sun & Swell Foods who take extra steps to ensure sustainability!

Want to know more? The process is so simple you can compost in between! Just create a unique link for your team member with a minimum budget of $45 a person, send it over email, and allow them to do the rest. They can pick their own options and have it sent directly to their door. May the Forest be with you!

4. Play Earth Day Inspired Games ????

Protect your high score while protecting the earth! Take a must needed break in your crazy work day to get into the spirit of all things Earth with Luna Park’s one-of-a-kind games. Subscribe to Luna Park On Demand and empower your team with collaborative icebreakers, games, trivia, and more!

Check out the game - Upcycle. You will work with your team to see who is the best at saving mother nature by upcycling pieces of trash into something you'll treasure.

5. Share an Article on the History of Earth Day

Does your team really know how Earth Day started? A simple share in Slack can bring greater awareness across your team. Take this article and spread it throughout your organization. Try to also pose a question to your team such as “If you could be a tree, which one would you choose and why?”. An icebreaker gets the conversation going and engages your team.

6. Set up a Sustainability Committee to See What More Your Company Can Do

Many employees at your company might be environmentally conscious or earth gurus! Start a sustainability committee and invite team members to join. Create a group in Slack or over email and share it with the company. Ask members to join and get the conversation started by creating a sustainability plan. The group can find ways to be more sustainable as a company. These initiatives could include going paperless, working with sustainable partners or brands, or setting up a volunteer day!

7. Walk or Bike to Work or Work From Home!

Reducing your carbon footprint is a key way to support Earth Day. Instead of driving to work, try walking or biking! Even better, encourage your employees to work from home instead. Make Friday, April 21st a company-wide "WFH" day by posting the day in your Google calendars and telling your team!

8. Host a Virtual Earth Day Live Game Show with Your Team

Skip the planning and let Luna Park take care of everything for you! No better way to celebrate Earth Day than by participating in a super fun and interactive live virtual game show. Get your team excited about the environment with a set of Earth Day-themed collaborative games hosted by a professional comedian. Our platform has a 9.2 rating from over 30k+ players from hundreds of companies. Fewer straws and way more fun!

9 Ways To Celebrate Earth Day With Your Hybrid Teams

9. Raise Funds for a Charitable Organization

Even if you are too busy to try one of the ideas above, you can still support and participate this Earth Day. Your team can raise funds to donate to an organization that is working on environmental initiatives. Some examples are the SurfRider Foundation, Greenpeace Fund, or Friends of the Earth! Simply click their donate button and share with your team over email. Include a video emphasizing the importance of Earth Day with the link. Here is a great example.

9 Ways To Celebrate Earth Day With Your Hybrid Teams

Start Saving The Planet Now

Earth Day is an amazing opportunity to not only do something good for the Earth but to also engage and connect with your team! As April 22nd quickly approaches, take some time to plan and implement one of these ideas. Even a small act can go a long way and make an impact!

Luckily, Luna Park is on Earth's side and has some fun ways to collaborate with your team to celebrate. Check out more resources here ⟶ www.golunapark.com

Thanks, Earth, you rock!

Remote Employee Onboarding Process: A Chat with Process Street's People & Operations Team

Home > Blog > Remote Employee Onboarding Process: A Chat with Process Street’s People & Operations Team

Remote Employee Onboarding Process: A Chat with Process Street's People & Operations Team

Remote Employee Onboarding has become the preferred method to integrate new employees into a company. But, it has also become a significant challenge for HR teams to tackle, with 37% of the respondents in a survey citing it as their top concern. As remote work policies continue to attract and retain quality talent, a structured onboarding process has become even more imperative.

We had the opportunity to chat with a People & Operations team that has successfully mastered the art of remote onboarding: Ashley Chain (Director, People & Operations) & Erin Rice (People & Operations Coordinator) from Process Street.

Process Street is a workflow management tool that makes it easy for you to manage your team’s recurring work. It’s simple, powerful, and easy to use. Being a no-code tool, anyone can get started with it in a beat and build powerful automation workflows quickly. 

Process Street has also been a Luna Park customer for quite some time now and throughout this conversation, we cover some of the ways in which they integrate Luna Park into their remote onboarding process.

In this summary, We cover some of the key takeaways from our conversation and share tips for building a comprehensive employee onboarding process that prioritizes employee experience.

1. Getting Creative with the Onboarding Process

Luna Park: Can you tell us a bit about Process Street’s employee onboarding process?

Erin: Our onboarding process starts well before a candidate is hired. We want to ensure that everyone who applies to a role has a positive experience, regardless of whether or not they're selected. We use Process Street to manage all our employee onboarding activities. Once a candidate is hired, we use a combination of our templates & Luna Park’s social games to create a welcoming environment that helps them feel comfortable and engaged from day one.

Ashley: One of the ways we use Luna Park is by hosting a welcome call with our new hires. This gives them an opportunity to meet with us and ask any questions they might have. We also use Luna Park's icebreaker social games to help new hires get to know each other and build connections with their colleagues.

Ashley: We also find it incredibly helpful to share onboarding information with new hires at least a week prior to the start date. We don’t expect them to prepare anything for their first day, but it helps to keep them informed.

2. Building Relationships in a Remote Environment

Luna Park: Remote work can be challenging when it comes to building relationships. What are some of the ways you try to address this in your onboarding process?

Ashley: Building relationships beyond standard team calls is crucial for remote companies. People often tend to stick within their own teams and hangout. We try to organize social activities that allow people to get to know each other regardless of their departments or teams. We try to schedule our activities at different times for different departments to accommodate their schedule.

Erin: We schedule monthly activities and cross-department game sessions to help build connections between teams. One of the things we love about Luna Park is that it has international-friendly games, which help us build connections with people from different countries and cultures. We also host smaller hangouts among teams. We might catch up over coffee or play a quick round of Word Games to get conversations flowing.

3. Personalizing the Onboarding Experience

Luna Park: How do you make sure new hires feel welcomed and supported?

Ashley: Personalization is key to making sure new hires feel comfortable and engaged. Using the hashtag #NewOnTheStreet, we encourage our new hires to share tidbits about themselves, their hobbies, and more with their team. This helps us get to know them better and create a more personalized onboarding experience.

Erin: We also use Process Street’s Pages product to create an Employee Handbook that contains everything a new hire needs to know about our company, their department, and frequently asked questions. We include company policies, leave policies, training manuals, and some tips & tricks for remote work life to help new hires feel more prepared and supported.

4. Luna Park & Process Street In Onboarding

The Role of Ice Breakers In Onboarding

Luna Park: You mentioned using Luna Park’s Ice Breaker games to engage with new hires. How does that help? And what are your favorite Luna Park games?

Erin: Icebreaker games have been immensely helpful in helping new hires open up and come out of their shell. These games are designed to get people talking, so even the shyest team member gets a chance to speak up and get their voice heard. It also acts as a conversation starter outside of these games, people remember their gaming sessions and use these to chat with their new connections.

Ashley: Our favorite Luna Park game so far has been: Over-roasted!

Workflow Management & Remote Onboarding

Luna Park: Can you share some tips about using a workflow management tool like Process Street to simplify the remote employee onboarding process?

Erin: The biggest benefit of using a tool like Process Street is the level of scalability that it helps you achieve in your onboarding process. When a company is hiring for several roles across several departments, it can get chaotic without proper planning. Process Street helps you create structured processes for your organization once and reuse them for any number of new hires. Process Street lets machines do what machines do best (recurrent tasks), so humans can do what humans do best, be creative, and connect.

Ashley: You can create checklists, assign due dates, set up payroll, schedule performance reviews, and even send out automated messages to new hires. All within one single platform. It truly unlocks the power of automation to simplify remote onboarding.

5. Continuous Improvement

Luna Park: How do you ensure your onboarding process is always evolving and improving?

Erin: Every onboarding session is a learning for us. We keep a record of questions that arise throughout the onboarding process and use them to build knowledge bases and FAQs.

Ashley: This helps us continuously improve our onboarding and identify and address any areas where new hires might need more support.

6. Gathering Feedback

Luna Park: Gathering feedback is an important part of continuous improvement for any process. How do you approach this?

Ashley: We start collecting feedback within the first week of a new hire’s time at Process Street. Erin gets on a call with them after their first week to learn about their experience, their challenges, and how well they’re integrating themselves into their new role. This opens up a lot of opportunities for improvements and course corrections if needed.

Erin: As always, everything we learn in these interactions becomes part of our strive to improve the remote onboarding process but it also demonstrates to new hires that their voices are being heard and their opinions matter.

Erin: After their first 30 days, we also invite them for a casual check-in over a round of Luna Park. This keeps the session light and makes them feel comfortable talking about their first month at the company.

Ashley: We also use workflow automation within Process Street to send out a 30-question survey to new hires once they’ve spent 60 days in the organization. There are pre-built templates that help us create these quickly. Employees just need to rate them on a scale of 1-5. Think of it like an NPS for remote onboarding.

In Conclusion

Building a comprehensive employee onboarding process for remote companies can be challenging, but with the right tools and strategies, it's possible to create a welcoming environment that helps new hires feel supported and engaged from day one.

Check out Process Street’s Employee Onboarding templates & our own Luna Park OnDemand games to start your remote onboarding journey.

10 Black History Month Activities: Virtual Celebration Ideas for 2023

Home > Blog > 10 Black History Month Activities: Virtual Celebration Ideas for 2023

black history month activities

What is Black History Month?

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by the Black community and a time for recognizing their central role in history. Dating back to 1915, Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland founded an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by the Black community. It has since evolved from an organization, to a week-long recognition, to what is now known as Black History Month. 

When is Black History Month?

Black History Month is celebrated annually during the month of February. Each year, a theme is assigned to Black History month to help give the month a specific focus. The 2023 Black History Month theme is Black Resistance. This theme explores how African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression in all forms. Learn more about this year’s theme here.

Notable People in Black History

Harriet Tubman helped hundreds of American slaves escape via secret route known as the Underground Railroad; Rosa Parks made history by refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a city bus; Martin Luther King, Jr. Helped shape the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s and 1960’s through non-violent social means; W.E.B. Du Bois was a writer and political activist and the key founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).  

Interested in learning more about other important people from Black history? Check out this link for more information! Black History Month Biographies 

Famous Black History Month Quotes

“Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise. I rise. I rise.” - Maya Angelou

“If you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise up against all odds.” - Jesse Jackson

“The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.” - W.E.B. DuBois

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” - Martin Luther King Jr.

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” - Harriet Tubman

10 Black History Month Activities for Virtual Celebration

Recognizing and celebrating employees’ racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds can be effective in building psychological safety and employee engagement — which is why it is so essential to create spaces where people can engage with intersectionality, build community, and lift up all voices. As a distributed team, we understand the struggles of finding virtual ways to engage our employees, so we’ve created this list to help!

Here are our top ten virtual black history month activities and team-building games centered around recognizing and celebrating BHM: 

1. Support Black owned businesses

Cost: $$, $$$, $$$$ 

Effort: Moderate 

Support Black owned businesses this Black History Month by Building your own care packages from Bifties.com - featuring products from Black owned brands - to send to your employees. You can also provide stipends for employees to enjoy lunch from one of their local Black owned restaurants. EatOkra is a great resource for finding Black owned restaurants in your area.

2. Add Black History facts/trivia into meetings agendas, slide decks, etc.

Cost: Free 

Effort: Low 

Adding a fact or trivia question at the start of your meeting is a great way to break the ice and get employees engaged from the start. Try incorporating some facts or trivia from Black History this month. Here are some great resources:  

> Little Known Facts About Black History

> Black History Facts 

3. Hire a speaker or Diversity Expert to host an education workshop/seminar

Cost: $$$$ 

Effort: High 

While not all organizations may have the budget, hiring a speaker or diversity expert to host a

workshop or seminar is a very impactful way to teach not only Black history but also to teach

companies how to embrace diversity and inclusion. Check out the links below for a list of Black History Month speakers: 

> Penguin Random House Black History Month Speakers

> AAE Black History Month Speakers

4. Feature a Black author or related literature during the next book club read

Cost: Free, $ 

Effort: Low 

An office book club is a great opportunity to build a positive company culture within your organization, especially with distributed teams. There can be very limited opportunities to connect while working remotely; a book club is a great way to come together as a team, engage with other employees, and even offer opportunities for employee development.  

Consider reading one of the titles listed in the links below to focus on and support Black history. 

Here are some book suggestions for your next read:  

  • The 1619 Project, by Nikole Hanna-Jones 
  • The Other Black Girl, by Zakiya Dalila Harris 
  • Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates 
  • The Warmth of Other Suns, by Isabel Wilkerson 
  • But Some of Us Are Brave, by Akasha (Gloria T.) Hull, Patricia Bell-Scott and Barbara Smith

 Looking for more options? Check out the below Links!

> 20 of the Most Essential Books on Black History  

> 32 Books to Honor and Celebrate Black History 

5. Send out music, podcast, and art recommendations

Cost: Free 

Effort: Moderate 

A great low-cost way to celebrate Black History Month is by sharing the love of Black Culture and media. Share a playlist featuring Black artists or send out recommendations for Black podcasts or art exhibitions. Check out these links below to find your inspiration:    

> 100 Best Black Podcasts

> Black History Month Apple Playlist

> 10 Must-See Exhibitions by Prominent Black Artists

6. Promote Employee Resource Groups

Cost: Free

Effort: High

If you don’t currently have any ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) in your organization, Black History Month is a great time to put focus on the creation and implementation of these groups. ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with their organization.

ERGs are comprised of members with shared characteristics such as Gender Identity, Ethnicity, Age, Religious Affiliation, and other shared interests. Some of the main goals of an ERG are: Improving work conditions for alienated workers, making the physical work environment better for everyone, bringing employees together in a safe place, identifying and developing leaders, tackling company-wide frustrations, and lowering the chance of suppressed frustrations. You can learn more about ERGs here.

7. Hire Luna Park

Cost: $, $$

Effort: Low

You can create your own games and run the experience on Zoom or Celebrate Black History Month virtually with us at The Luna Park Show. We’ve created an incredibly fun and educational game show hosted by professional comedians on a platform purpose-built for an interactive game show. Players will learn fun facts about notable people throughout Black history and enjoy the company of their coworkers in a relaxed, fun environment while they’re at it.

Reach out to us on our contact page to book an event! 

8. Host Black History Month Trivia

Cost: Free, $, $$ 

Hosting a trivia event is a great and engaging way to learn more about Black History in your organization. Create your own trivia questions and set up a game on Zoom, or utilize some online platforms such as Trivia Maker or Bar None Games.

Wanting to try your hand at creating your own trivia event? Check out a list of trivia questions to get you started if you are creating your own trivia: 20 Black History Month trivia questions. 

9. Give back to relevant causes

Cost: $, $$, $$$, $$$ 

Effort: Moderate  

Making donations is a great way to support the Black community this February and throughout the year! Consider providing employees with their own stipend to donate to a cause of their choosing, or have the team vote collectively on one cause to make a donation to. Here is a list of some charities that could use your help:

> NAACP

> Center for Black Equality

> Color of Change

> Black Women for Wellness

> BlackPAC

> Black Girls CODE

> Black AIDS Institute

> Black Visions Collective

> The Okra Project

 10. Virtual Tours

Cost: Free 

Effort: Low 

While you may not have the budget for a company off-site tour, you can take advantage of virtual tours online! There are so many benefits of a virtual tour besides just cost savings! You have the freedom to visit from anywhere at any time. This will help accommodate everything in your organization, no matter the time zone.

Many virtual tours have zoom-in options and 360-degree views of the exhibits, allowing you to be immersed in the art as if you were really there. Another benefit of virtual tours is the time saved from waiting in lines! You’ll always be first in line when attending a virtual tour.

> National Museum of African American History and Culture Online

> Oakland Museum of California – Black Power

> African American Museum of Philadelphia – Through His Eyes

> Virtual Civil Rights Trail

> Google Arts and Culture – Black History and Culture

Black History Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the achievements of the Black community and their important role in shaping history. We hope these team-building activities would help you in celebrating Black History Month successfully.

10 Virtual Team Building Activities for Women's Groups

Home > Blog > 10 Virtual Team Building Activities for Women’s Groups

10 Virtual Team Building Activities for Women's Groups

Women’s History Month is a great time to recognize and celebrate the many achievements and contributions of women. It’s also an opportunity to explore ways to create a more inclusive workplace beyond the month of March. As a remote team, we know that finding the best virtual activities and games centered around Women’s History Month can be a challenge, which is why we assembled this list.

We get it. We’re remote ourselves, so we know the struggles of being together from afar. However, lucky for you, we are literally a company that specializes in remote engagement. And we’ve learned a thing or two about how to engage people remotely. Luna Park has helped companies like TikTok, Meta, Salesforce, Amazon, Chegg, and Ava Labs create fun virtual experiences.

We’ve surveyed over 6k Luna Park players, and 90% of them feel more connected to their colleagues after an event. So – how do you do the same?

Below you will find our top ten virtual team-building ideas you can use to recognize women in history, talk about gender equality at your company, and strengthen relationships with your teammates.

Top 10 Virtual Activities for Women's Groups

Virtual team-building activities and games centered around Women’s History Month can help foster positive group dynamics and create an even stronger team. Learning about women’s history and how to be an ally in the movement for equity is a daily responsibility—which is why it is so essential to create spaces where people can engage with intersectionality, build community, and lift up all voices. Here are our top ten virtual team building games and activities. For your benefit, we’ve highlighted free options and included rough team sizes.

1. Start a book club!

There are SO MANY incredible female authors that don’t get nearly enough credit as they deserve. Start a book club with your employees with a different theme each month. This can be a fun way to engage with one another on a different level that is more relaxed, centered around an activity, and can be great fodder for lively discussions. Here’s a list we really like for some great women and non-binary authors to check out.

You can also find ways to make reading competitive by creating incentives to go along with your company book club. The person who finishes their book first or has the best book summary can win a gift card to their favorite book store! This is a fun, free way to get to know some mind-blowing authors you may not have heard of.

Fun Fact: Did you know that you can use the Libby app to access library books from your local library? You can access the books you borrow for FREE and from any device.

Resource: Libby App.: Free ebooks & audiobooks from your library | by OverDrive.

Cost: Free!

Effort: Low

Recommended group size: 3-7 people

2. Celebrate on social media!

Check out the women who’ve left their mark on our world and those — from politicians to business people to artists — who are making a difference today. Thank them on social media, look them up and read more about what they’ve done, find stories you relate to or that teach you something new. Then, share it with the world! Or, at least your followers.

Sharing on social media is an easy way to celebrate Women’s History Month. You can share quotes you love from inspiring women or signal boost women on social media you find inspiring by resharing their posts.

Here are a few quotes from powerful, awe-inspiring women that you can add to your posts throughout March:

1. “Don’t mistake politeness for lack of strength.”
– Sonia Sotomayor

2. “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
– Ruth Bader Ginsburg

10 Virtual Team Building Activities for Women's GroupsJoan Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court.

“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”
– Malala Yousafzai

”What’s the greatest lesson a woman should learn? That since day one, she’s already had everything she needs within herself. It’s the world that convinced her she did not.”
– Rupi Kaur

Cost: Free!

Effort: Moderate

Recommended group size: Any Size

3. Roundtable Discussion: Ask yourself what are ways that all of us reinforce gender-biased assumptions

It’s easy to take our gender and the expectations that come with it for granted. Explore your gender, how it impacts you, and how you can challenge gendered expectations at work and home. Take this moment RIGHT NOW, and just think for a second, what does your gender mean to you, if anything?

Consider this: what are the gendered assumptions you yourself carry? Many of us, unconsciously, perpetuate traditional gender norms through our actions in one way or another. But each of us has the power to challenge these assumptions with a simple shift in perspective. There are so many ways we do this day-to-day without even realizing it. Like the assumption that men are just better at sports. Or that women are overly emotional. Or that men who express their feelings are weak.

Fun Fact: At 17 years old, Jackie Mitchell became the second woman ever to participate in professional baseball. This is the fun part, though; during an exhibition game against the Yankees in ‘31, Mitchell struck out none other than baseball legends Babe Rough and Lou Gehrig.

There are always more ways to challenge gender-biased assumptions. But it starts with talking. This can be hard. It might make you feel nervous or uncomfortable. That’s okay! It’s never too late to learn. And who knows, maybe together we can start to make some changes.

Cost: Free!

Effort: Moderate

Recommended group size: Any Size

4. Find a local or virtual Women’s History Month event and report back to your team on the experience

Although we can’t always gather in person for Women’s History Month, we created a list of virtual events that you can join from home that still celebrate International Women’s Day, Women’s Equality Day, and more. From online museum tours to a deep dive into the lives of your favorite women in history, there’s no better time to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of women throughout history.

Cost: Varies $, $$

Effort: Moderate

Recommended group size: Any Size

5. Roundtable Discussion: Talk about how to create a ‘principled space’

We’ve talked a lot about safe spaces, which is a fantastic start as a society. The only problem is that creating a safe space is nearly impossible, especially when different people have different definitions of what that means. So instead, you can work towards developing a ‘principled space.’ The notion of a ‘principled space’ was originally developed by artist and activist Hanalei Ramos. It refers to an agreed set of principles that everyone agrees to abide by–such as remaining aware of our privileges and treating others’ experiences with respect.

And remember, you don’t have to have all the answers right away; that’s why you hold these round table discussions to figure out how we can all support each other better.

Cost: Free!

Effort: Moderate

Recommended group size: 5-10 people

6. Create a fun collaborative powerpoint presentation challenge

Women throughout history are often left out of our textbooks. Use this presentation to shine a spotlight on all of the women that should be remembered throughout history and today. This is a fun way to create a presentation on women who may have been left out of the history books. You can let your imagination run wild and include any facts about their lives, which can help to fluff up the presentation for entertainment purposes (we see you!). Keep the number of slides to 10 at most. You can do this by breaking out into smaller groups centered around decade or theme.

Examples of themes:

  • “Women are just better at sports”
  • “Who really invented that?”
  • “Is that your daughter? She looks so smart!”

Cost: Free, $

Effort: High

Recommended group size: 5-10 people

7. Invite intersectionality into the conversation by having a guest speaker

Gender equality and intersectionality are important, but they don’t just happen by themselves. Inclusive workplaces don’t happen unless someone makes them happen. Get ahead of the curve by having an expert speak with your team.

Intersectionality is how all of the different aspects of a person’s identity can overlap and influence how that person experiences oppression or privilege. For example, a trans-black woman will likely experience sexism, racism, and transphobia. Each of these identities can shape her experiences and the way others treat her. Invite intersectionality into the conversation by having a guest speaker on. We won’t know everything there is to know. That’s why it’s good to invite an expert to come in and fill in the blanks.

Talk about preferred pronouns with facilitators from LGBTQ2+ communities in a safe and accessible environment. Through facilitated conversation and individual activities, you will hear first-hand experiences of the personal significance of pronouns, and practice using them confidently.

Resources: LGBTQ2SAI+ Diversity Training — QMUNITY

Cost: $

Effort: Moderate

Recommended group size: Any Size

9. Women’s History Month care packages for your employees

Create a Care Package for your employees with amazing women-owned business products. Everyone should feel included, men and women, in celebrating Women’s History Month. We curate a list of woman owned businesses for you to consider!

Cost: $$, $$$, $$$$

Effort: Low

Recommended group size: Any Size

Choose a pre-made gift basket
Make your own gift basket with these curated items:

10. Hire Luna Park to Host a Fun, Virtual, and Interactive Show

You can create your own games and run the experience on Zoom or Celebrate Women’s History Month virtually with us at The Luna Park Show. We’ve created an incredibly fun and educational game show experience hosted by professional comedians on a platform purpose-built for an interactive game show. Players will learn fun facts about notable women throughout history (Bonnie Parker, Madonna, Kate Bush, Eleanor Roosevelt, etc…) and enjoy the company of their coworkers in a relaxed, fun environment while they’re at it.

Cost: $$$

Effort: Low

Recommended group size: 20+

Want a demo before you invite your whole team?

What’s so important about Women’s History Month today?

Women currently make up more than 50% of the population but are still vastly underrepresented in leadership roles in government and corporate positions worldwide.

Women continue to face inequality in society. Even today, women around the world are underrepresented as leaders and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. As of January 2023, for the first time in the Fortune 500 list's 68-year history, more than 10% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women.

Despite some gains in Congressional representation in recent years, women still remain underrepresented in this branch of government. As of January 3, 2023, there are 124 women in the U.S. House of Representatives (not including four female non-voting delegates), making women 28.6% of the total. This number pales in comparison to male representation. Additionally, just ten countries worldwide have a woman Head of State while 13 have a woman Head of Government.
Food for Thought: History is not a place but a social and intellectual construct that we need to be questioning and re-discovering constantly.

Did you know: Women’s History Month actually started as only one day: March 8th. It wasn’t until 1978 that it was declared women shall have one whole week to celebrate themselves, and then not until 1987 that it became an entire month. You may not know this, but each women’s history month has a theme; this year it’s "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories".

Thanks for taking the time to think about Women’s History Month. If you have additional ideas or want to learn more please reach out to us.

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