>"Walk a Mile in My Shoes" State of the Child Conference

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This year’s State of the Child Conference will be held on April 19th, 2012 at the Havelock Tourist & Event Center, 201 Tourist Center Drive, Havelock, NC, 28532, 252-444-4348

From 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Registration begins at 8:30am

“If I could be you, if you could be me for just one hour…” – “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” by Joe South

We all want children to grow up in a world free from threats of danger, poverty, bias and discrimination. We all want children to reach for their dreams and feel that whatever they want to accomplish in life is possible. We want them to feel loved and included and never to experience the pain of rejection or exclusion. One way that we can contribute to this goal is to learn as much as possible about the differences among us and just what do those difference really mean for children.

As professionals who work with families, our willingness to talk openly about issues such as poverty, being from another culture, the threats of human trafficking and growing up in a military family can help us foster a positive sense of self in children. We can make an enormous difference by affirming the rich diversity of our human community and helping children build safe bridges across cultures and traditions.

This conference will join parents and professionals as they engage in conversations about the unique challenges diversity brings.

One Step at a Time – Welcoming Refugee Families: Laura Waller is the Refugee School Impact Coordinator for Interfaith Refugee Ministries. She serves as a liaison between refugee families and the Craven County School System. Laura worked as K-2 teacher in Title I schools in Washington, DC and Jones County.

Understanding and Responding to the Needs of Children and Families Living in Generational Poverty: Susan Pennock has been a consultant for Communities In Schools of North Carolina for the past five years. The focus of her work is rural community development, building school and community partnerships, mentoring, and helping communities better understand the mindset of generational poverty.

The Military Child: Lisa Purvis Boyette is the Military Liaison Counselor with Craven County Schools and Donna Bagley is the School Liaison Officer, MCAS Cherry Point. Their focus will be on the effects of military life on children and moving from challenges to strengths and resiliency.

The Exploitation of Minors: Unique Needs of Trafficking Victims: Monica Johnson Hostler is the Executive Director of NCCASA. She is the board president of the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, advocating for federal policy and legislative change and she was recently appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women.

Lunch will be provided by the Chelsea.

Youth involvement through dramatic vignettes presented by West Craven High School and Early College High School.

Presentations from professionals based on personal and professional experiences with cultural differences in our communities.

For questions or more information, please call Sylvia with Promise Place at 252-636-3381.
You may download the brochure at United Way of Coastal Carolina’s website.

Submitted by: Hollyanne Trombley, Co-Chair of Craven County Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force