The city of Bainbridge Island will host a free anti-racism bystander training course March 29.

Training aims to empower people to take action and counteract the bystander effect when someone assumes someone else will act and chooses not to intervene.

The interactive workshop is sponsored by the Race Equity Advisory Committee in response to community interest in how bystanders can address racism and other oppression, Shannon Hayes, BI communications director, wrote in an email.

“It offers a unique opportunity for participants to engage in meaningful conversations—both in person and through Mentimeter polls (live, real-time polling)—fostering shared learning and dialogue about experiences and perceptions of racism and oppression on Bainbridge Island,” Hays says in the email.

The course is taught by Healing Equity United, a Black and Asian women-owned collaborative that aims to create action-oriented communities and combat bigotry, their website says.

The course was first offered last spring 2024 and reached full capacity, Hayes wrote, adding a more advanced workshop will take place in April for those who want to deepen their skills.

The training will be at City Hall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a lunch break at noon. The course is open to high school students and adults.

To register for one of the 75 spots, go to http://bit.ly/4iysvkn.