Diverse Voices Book Challenge

The Diverse Voices Book Challenge provides an opportunity to learn about different populations, identities, and experiences that are present within our campus community. This initiative looks at heritage months to highlight varying perspectives to help start conversations, provide proper terminology, and reflect on what you've read.

To complete the challenge, participants need to read over the course of the 2024-2025 academic year, from a variety of categories listed below:

• September: Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month
• October: LGBTQA+ History Month & Mental and Physical Disability Awareness Month
• November: Native American Indian Heritage Month 
• December: Spiritual and Religious Awareness Month
• February: African American History Month
• March: National Women's History Month
• April: Hmong Heritage Month & International Student Appreciation Month
• May: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month & Military Appreciation Month

Participants will receive a Tier II credit for every two books they read, and are able to earn up to four, Tier II credits in an academic year.

Once a book is completed, participants need to complete a reflection form in order to log the book. Twelve featured books are displayed below to help provide a starting point, or you can look through the book lists below for other suggestions per month.  Other titles can be considered beyond what is provided or be counted towards other categories they are not listed under.

Amplified Authors

Amplified Authors is an initiative with the Equity in Student Matters Commission of Student Senate, where several mini libraries are available across campus to celebrate different identities and heritage month celebrations. These libraries are designed to provide free access to fiction and non-fiction titles around equity, diversity and inclusion. Current and previous featured titles from this book challenge are available for free in these community libraries. If you have any questions about the Amplified Authors project, please contact Student Senate at esm@uwec.edu. 

Below is a link to lists of other titles that can be utilized for each category. This is only a starting list and not exclusive. Other materials can be considered at any time and added to these lists.  Many books are also intersectional and can be counted for a variety of categories.

If you have any recommendations for titles or ways to improve the Diverse Voices Book Challenge for the future, please contact Katy Rand at randka@uwec.edu.