Part
One: (morning session) -- Interrupting Generational Poverty Barriers
An understanding of the context, world view, learning and communication
styles of families living in poverty is essential to breaking the cycle
of generational poverty. What does living in poverty teach? What does
it mean to be poor in wealthy America? Income, educational opportunities,
and life experiences shape our communication and relationship styles
and can create misunderstandings and missed opportunities for connection.
Through sharing her journey out of “generational poverty,”
her doctoral studies on generational poverty, and 15 years working to
interrupt cycles of generational poverty, Dr. Donna Beegle will frame
the discussion of how our class/diverse cultural experiences “program”
us with values and expectations that shape our abilities to relate and
communicate effectively across socio-cultural barriers. The concepts
of how socialization and communication shapes education and job expectations,
perception, identification, and motivation are addressed.
This session will increase an understanding of poverty and that it
is possible to break the cycle and help people to move forward.
Part Two: (afternoon session) – Concrete
Tools for Working with
People in Poverty
Most of our social service and education systems are set up to support
people coming from a print culture orientation. Social services are
often alienating to families from generational poverty that have an
oral cultural world-view. How we get our information shapes how we relate
to one another and how we experience the world. Many people from lower-class
backgrounds get their information verbally, creating an “oral”
culture thought process. Many people from middle-upper class backgrounds
gain their information from reading, creating a “print”
culture thought process. Understanding these different thought processes
could improve communication across class barriers and increase success
in the educational environment. Opportunities for improving communication
and relationships are enormous when these concepts are understood and
incorporated into every aspect of the service process.
Oral Culture (orality) is a natural state in which we are highly attuned
to our senses (touch, smell, sight, sound, and taste) and devote a great
deal of attention to sensory information. Orality emphasizes our interconnection
with the environment and the people in it. Some characteristics of orality
are spontaneity, connectedness, present orientation, comfort with emotions,
able to see “the big picture,” and holistic.
Print Culture (literacy) is a learned way of relating to the world
where people learn to process and analyze (breaking things down according
to parts) information collected through sight, sound, hearing, touch,
and smell according to categories, classifications, and styles of reasoning
developed by reading. Some characteristics of print culture are:
self-discipline (ability to not pay attention to everything that is
going on around you, but rather to focus on a single idea), separation
and disconnection, ability to delay gratification, ability to strategize
and plan ahead, ability to set goals, ability to develop technology,
ability to break things down into parts, and ability to organize efforts
according to predetermined goals.
This session provides participants with the tools of oral and print
culture to enhance communication skills necessary for reaching across
poverty barriers.
TRAINER: Dr. Donna Beegle
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WORKSHOP FEE
WorkFirst Program staff: $50
per participant (Note: maximum of 60 participatns)
Workshop fee includes materials, continental breakfast
and lunch.
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TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS
10 scholarships for Washington State WorkFirst
LPA Partners are available on a "first come, first serve"
basis. Contact your LPA or Kelly Lindseth (phone: 360.902.0413 email:
kelly.lindseth@ofm.wa.gov) to see if you are eligible.
To access Scholarship Application Form, please click here.
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Continuing Education Units/Clock Hours
Participants can register for Highline Community College Continuing
Education Units (CEUs).
The cost is $10.00 per course. CEU forms are available at the workshop.
Free Clock Hours available at the workshop.
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Cancellation
Policy:
The cancellation fee is $25. If
you must cancel your registration and have already made payment, you
may request a refund minus the $25 fee up to 3 working days prior to
the event. After this date, no refunds will be issued and the workshop
fee will be charged.
Alternatively, you can make substitutions for attendance.
Please note that "No Shows" will be charged the full workshop
fee.
Please inform Jan Palmer (206-870-5912) or Anna McCain (206-870-5908)
if you need to cancel