United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) is proud to announce they are returning renowned speaker Jodi Pfarr to the Iron Range – this time, for a free diversity and inclusion training June 22nd at the Minnesota Discovery Center amphitheater.
Pfarr first spoke on the Iron Range in 2017, presenting her “Bridges out of Poverty” book. The presentation was so popular with community members, UWNEMN returned the presentation – this time for two days – in 2018.
“Jodi has a way of approaching things in a way that is so engaging – and also so accessible,” said UWNEMN Executive Director Erin Shay. “Everyone walked away from her presentations feeling like they’d gained a broader understanding of such a big, important issue.”
What’s more, Shay said, people left those presentations “feeling energized to make change in their community.”
This year, Pfarr will be presenting her new book, “The Urgency of Awareness.” The book, cowritten by Pfarr and the late Allison Boisvert, seeks to offer readers keys to improve individual interactions as well as concrete tools to improve policies and practices in our organizations.
From the book description: “As our twenty-first century world grows increasingly diverse, it is often the polarizing voices dictating to us how we should view our neighbors, our interactions at work, our families, and even our race and ethnicities. … Now is the time for change. It is our opportunity to embrace a broader understanding of the diversity in our world and to let our awareness support healthy human interaction at every level of our lives.”
Minnesota educators who attend the presentation will receive one Continuing Education Credit, though anyone can attend. The event is free and open to the public.
“Given the timely nature of this very important message and United Way’s role in uniting our communities, we wanted to be sure that anyone interested in attending was able to do so,” Shay said.
The event is made free thanks to sponsorships from Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation (IRRR), St. Louis County’s Family Services Collaborative, the Chisholm Community Foundation, and UWNEMN.
“The Urgency of Awareness” presentation will take place from 8 am to 4 pm June 22nd at the Minnesota Discovery Center amphitheater, and attendees will receive a light breakfast, box lunch, snacks, and a copy of the book. Registration, though free, is required so organizers can get a proper meal and book count. For more information – and to register, CLICK HERE.