Navigating difference: Cultural competency training for outreach professionals

Navigating Difference is a national program that is being implemented in nine states at institutions of higher learning and public school systems across the country. 

The people and the communities serving and served by outreach programs throughout the United States are more diverse than ever. Navigating Difference will help you as an outreach professional:

• Become more aware of your own personal and organizational culture;
• Examine how those cultures affect your ability to work across difference, negatively and positively; and
• Hone your ability to work with others who are different than you.

Those who participate in Navigating Difference increase their ability to:

• Use cultural guides to plan and implement programming;
• Recognize cultural conflict styles;
• Understand the barriers to intercultural communications;
• Ask more questions;
• Listen more carefully; and
• Look for non-verbal cues from those with whom they communicate.

Trainers: Merrianneeta Nesbitt, Louise Parker and Anna Whitehall:  WSU Navigating Difference Trainers.