Eastern Kentucky University’s College of Education, the Southeast/Southcentral Educational Cooperative, the Center for Renewal of Schools and the Education Professions, the Kentucky Collaborative for State Agency Children, the EKU Office of Enrollment Management, and EKU AmeriCorps will host the ninth annual Diversity Conference Feb. 10-11 in the Perkins Building on the EKU campus.
The conference, “Focusing on Equity in Culture, Poverty and Disability,” will feature Lynch native and Berea College faculty member William Turner, author of “Blacks in Appalachia;” author and motivational speaker Elizabeth Breaux, whose specialty is working with at-risk students; and Gary Griesser, a retired educator who consults for many church and business organizations throughout the U.S.
The conference also will feature “A Man Stands — The Struggle for Racial Equality in America,” a monologue about the struggle for racial equality written by EKU graduate student Wil Thames; directed by Sarah Evans, director of EKU’s Arts and Humanities Collaborative; and performed by Berea College theater major Jonathan Johnson.
The conference is designed for P-12 public school teachers, counselors and administrators; college and university faculty, staff and students; and educators and staff in the KECSAC programs.
“As educators, we must always strive to provide an environment that honors and respects every student and family that we serve, regardless of any circumstance or situation that creates a barrier to education or feeling of self-worth,” said Tom Bonny, assistant director of the Southeast/Southcentral Educational Cooperative.
Workshop topics include “Cultural Competence: Implications for Dropout Prevention,” “Poverty Trends and Policy Options in Kentucky,” “Growing Up Poor,” “Partnering with Parents for Positive School Outcomes,” as well as a panel discussion entitled “Children of the Mountains,” among other topics.
The conference fee is $150 per person and includes all materials as well as breakfast and lunch each day.
Participants will be eligible for 12 hours of EILA credit and also may receive a certificate in Cultural Competency. For more information or registration materials, call Tom Bonny at 622-2581 or e-mail tom.bonny@eku.edu. Online registration is available at www.coe.eku.edu/Field_Services. The registration deadline is Jan. 31.
