Wildcat Connection March 2018 | Page 4

Tara Solomon-Smith

Adult Development and Aging

ith the desire to reach all communities and individuals within the district, I had an introduction presentation with the Plaza West Apartments in Parsons. I visited with the group about upcoming District sponsored opportunities including the upcoming Walk Kansas health initiative.

This audience will be the second group of participants be a part of the Keys to Embracing Aging series offered monthly begging March 21.

Improving Communication Across Barriers

I attended the annual February Family and Consumer Science update this month. It is a great time for professional development and State system wide updates. One of the most enlightening and empowering messages was the presentation on Breaking the Iron Cage of Poverty brought by Dr. Donna M. Beegle, who lived in generational poverty.

With each Wildcat District county’s percent of individuals living in poverty being well over the United States average of 12 percent, this information will assist in reaching these populations better. However, even when visiting with those with similar backgrounds, our communication is only understood 50 percent of the time! Keeping the strategies examined in this training in mind, could improve outcomes when communicating with our family, co-workers, and any of our program participants.

Some key takeaways for me were:

-Believe in those we are working to empower.

-Recognize that all people have knowledge and skills.

-Gain poverty competency: a deeper understanding of poverty and its impacts.

-Examine community-wide policies, programs, and rules to ensure that we are actually serving

the realities of poverty that people face.

-Work to build a collective approach to address the complexities of poverty

Character Essay Contest

Forty-eight Girard fourth graders participated in this year’s Family and Community Education (FCE) Essay and Artwork Contest. This year’s theme was citizenship, one of the Six Pillars of Character. Students wrote an essay and created a hand drawn picture about Citizenship. This FCE nationwide contest provides an opportunity for students to improve literacy skills and develop ethical values.

Other Connections:

-Enjoyed an afternoon of District FCS strategic planning.

-Met with Pittsburg Recreation Commission and attended their Friday Senior Citizens Club.

-Shared upcoming health events to Pittsburg Retired Teachers.

-Began Walk Kansas committee brainstorm meetings.

W