Donna Beegle, a nationally renowned public speaker and educator will explore issues surrounding poverty at the 11th annual InterChange Conference on Tuesday, May 20 at the Edmonds Conference Center.
InterChange's theme, "Poverty: There is Hope," aims to increase awareness of how poverty impacts children and families in Snohomish County. InterChange began in 1997 as a way to bring educators, service providers and the community together to better serve youth and others in need.
The InterChange Conference also will examine successful and innovative programs in Snohomish County, while featuring panelists from Hawthorne Elementary School, United Way, Workforce Development Council, Volunteers of America and the Housing Consortium of Everett and Snohomish County.
The Snohomish County Council and Executive recently declared May "Community Action and Poverty Awareness Month".
"Helping people out of poverty is an important role for government," said County Councilmember Dave Gossett. "Too many of our children live in poverty and the future costs are high. We need to move people from poverty to stable jobs and better lives."
Beegle will speak on the differences between immigrant poverty and generational poverty and focus on barriers people face when dealing with educators and social service providers.
Participants also will learn to frame goals from the perspective of people in living in poverty, implement changes in communication styles to reduce conflict and employ techniques to better motivate individuals from impoverished backgrounds.
The day-long conference, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch, costs $25. Advanced registration is required to attend. For more information or a registration form, contact Kristin Roessler at 425-388-7407 or at kristin.roessler@snoco.org.
