INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Smith College is the recipient of the May Division III Diversity Spotlight Initiative, the NCAA announced this week. 

The NCAA Division III Diversity Spotlight Initiative recognizes and promotes outstanding diversity-related projects, programming and initiatives that are occurring on Division III campuses and in conference offices. Each month, the award recognizes an institution or conference in regard to a diversity-related event, program or initiative. All selected recipients receive $500 toward their next diversity initiative.

NCAA RELEASE

The Smith College athletics department partnered with the college's Sports Committee for Inclusion and Diversity (SCID) to host the EmPOWER: Understanding Our Identities Conference. The conference focused on inclusion and diversity within athletics.  Tamika Catchings, an Olympic gold medalist and Indiana Fever director and vice-president of basketball operations, delivered the opening keynote address. 

The idea for this conference developed over a year ago as a student-led initiative to bring discussions of athletes' intersecting identities to the forefront of the athletic department. This conference is something that students have been working on for a long period of time in attempts to address the systemic problems withing athletics surrounding student-athletes' identities, inclusion, and diversity.

About Smith Athletics: Smith College is an NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information log on to smithpioneers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.