Great ideas don't grow in isolation. They need environments where people feel safe to take risks, ask questions, and share their perspectives.
"Safe to Innovate" is a two-part event series that explores how psychological safety — the belief that you won’t be punished when you make a mistake — can support collaboration and meaningful progress in classrooms, teams, and organizations at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB).
Led by Elizabeth J. Garza-Guidara, MA, a national leader in organizational transformation, participants will leave with practical tools to help create spaces where people and ideas can thrive at UMB. Attending both sessions is encouraged but not required.
June 9: Why Psychological Safety Matters
1-2 p.m.
Gladhill Board Room (HSHSL, Fifth Floor) and Zoom
This session introduces the concept of psychological safety and why it’s essential for advancing innovation and discovery at UMB. Hear real-world insights from Garza-Guidara on how trust impacts the way teams collaborate, solve problems, and take risks. Light refreshments will be provided.
If you need an accommodation for the event June 9, please contact s.white@umaryland.edu by June 2.
June 17: Creating Psychologically Safe Environments for Innovation
11 a.m.-Noon
4MLK (4 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Second Floor) and Zoom
Building on the first session, this session begins with a brief recap and then moves into practical strategies for creating psychological safety in classrooms, research settings, and administrative environments at UMB. Learn how to apply these approaches in your work to support collaboration, innovation, and discovery. Light refreshments will be provided.
If you need an accommodation for the event June 17, please contact s.white@umaryland.edu by June 9.
"Safe to Innovate" is part of the quarterly Innovation Workshop Series, created and hosted by the University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies' Office of Values and Strategic Initiatives in collaboration with UMB's core values.