Why attend Los Alumnos Professional Development Academy? Take a step on the journey to cultural competence…..
Why cultural competence? Studies verify that there is a strong link between parent engagement and student achievement. They go one to say that the level of engagement is influenced, in part, by language, cultural differences and the attitudes of school staff. Language and cultural knowledge matter. Studies say relationships matter. Social trust actually can predict the quality of a school. Building skills and confidence in the Spanish language is a key strategy in making those relationships.
Why immersion? Cultural competence is not achieved through words alone, but rather through knowledge and the application of that knowledge”, writes Jerome H. Hanley, Ph.D, clinical child psychologist and the director of the division of children, adolescents, and their families within the South Carolina Department of mental health. To work toward cultural competence, one must look within and without for a deeper understanding of ourselves and the cultures of the people served. We must also act on the knowledge, turning our understanding into more effective programs and services.
The most important ingredient in cultural competence is self-knowledge. A second vital ingredient in cultural competence is experience. One cannot learn about a people or culture exclusively through books, movies and classes.
The best teacher is firsthand experience with a culture, if not immersion in it. Although the lessons can be painful, you must touch it, try it, make mistakes, apologize, internalize what you have learned, and try again. Honest self-knowledge and unmediated experience with the cultures of the individuals you serve will help you become a far superior helper.
Language immersion as professional development is considered a credible and valuable strategy in support of Arizona's Comprehensive Needs Assessment, principles 5 and 6. See below for an important link:
