Teaching Compassion When Little Children Face Adult-Size Challenges

Sunday, April 13. 12:00pm-1:30pm. Fidalgo Room.

Description 

Just at the age when they are most open to learning compassion, children, ages 3-5, are facing adult-size challenges. Families at all economic levels are stressed by job and housing insecurities, overwork and under work, sometimes substance abuse and the conflicts that can result. They are also bombarded by powerful media images in DVDs, music, video games and movies that often glorify values and behavior that are the very antithesis of compassion. Little children are our most constant witnesses. Explore the commonalities and differences across cultures in raising compassionate, resilient and strong children.

Presenter Bios 

Betty Emarita is a change management consultant and president of Development and Training Resources, a firm she established in 1986. Her team of associates works with nonprofit institutions, foundations, educational institutions, government agencies and businesses to help them absorb new information and manage change while moving concepts to action. Her firm helps clients to attain targeted outcomes in an economically shifting environment with increasingly diverse populations. She and her colleagues work with organizations to design and launch bold initiatives, build inclusive environments, design curricula, conduct assessments, and develop and implement strategic plans.  

Yvonne Cheek, Millennium Consulting Group

Yvonne Cheek is a strategic change consultant and president of Millennium Consulting Group, a firm she established in 1993. Her firm works with national and local clients in all the sectors to help them build high performing work cultures and to accelerate intentional change. She and her colleagues enjoy partnering with organizations to launch bold initiatives, build inclusive environments, design curricula, conduct assessments, build strong teams, develop and implement strategic plans, solve problems, and manage polarities. She is active in the Human Systems Dynamics and the Polarity Management / Real Time Strategic Change learning communities. One of the highlights of Yvonne’s career was co-designing and facilitating a White House conference on Women and Leadership. Yvonne’s background includes teaching at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of Puget Sound, directing the citizen education program at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, and being a manager in corporate marketing at Control Data Corporation. Her current civic involvement includes being a trustee on the Sundance Family Foundation, a trustee of the Blandin Foundation, and founding member of Greater Twin Cities United Way Women’s Leadership Women’s Council. Yvonne received bachelors and masters degrees from the University of North Carolina; her PhD is from the University of Michigan.