Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance: e-Newsletter 2009-07

e-Newsletter 2009-07

Diversity Alliance e-Newsletter

July 2009

The Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance seeks to dismantle racial, socioeconomic, and institutional barriers to ensure that people of all ethnic backgrounds have equal access and opportunity to participate fully in the life of the community.

Summer Spanish Classes for Children; Intermediate Adult

Summer Children's Spanish Class

Six-Week Lower Elementary Children's Class:
Wednesdays 9:00-10:00am July 15 through August 19. Class fee is $40.

Six-Week Upper Elementary and Middle School Children's Class:
Tuesdays 9:00-10:00am July 14th through August 18th. Class fee is $40.

Summer Adult Conversational Spanish Class

Six-Week Adult Intermediate Spanish Class:
Tuesdays 3:00-5:00pm July 14 through August 18. Class fee is $50.

If you are interested in finding out if the Intermediate class would be a good fit for you, [click here] to take the Placement Test. Please complete the entire test. If you score less than 30%, this class may be too hard. If you score more than 85%, this class may be too easy.

The textbook used is Easy Spanish Step-By-Step by Barbara Bregstein. Students must purchase their own book. [info on amazon.com]

Classes are held at the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance office located at 665 136th Ave, Holland.

For questions or to register, contact Sarah Salguera at program@ethnicdiversity.org.

2009 Ottawa County Business Conversational Spanish Class

Business Conversational Class (Ottawa County)

The second Beginners Spanish Class for Ottawa County employees finished June 19. The students were very content with their new skills and are excited to practice with their Spanish speaking clients. The third class for Ottawa County employees is filled and begins mid-July.

For more information regarding these tailored business courses, for both the public and private sector, please contact Sarah at program@ethnicdiversity.org.

Conversational Spanish Program provides courses for adults, youth, and businesses
interested in learning and practicing the Spanish language.
[learn more]

Building Friendships, Building Bridges

Margaret McCliment, of Grandville, reads to a migrant child.

Summer Reading Program Continues; Change from Tuesday to Monday

Due to an overlap with other activities in which many of our migrant children participate, we will be changing the reading program from Tuesday and Thursday evenings to Monday and Thursday.

The Summer Migrant Reading Program is completing its second month and has proven to be very successful. The children enjoy reading with or to our volunteers. Many young children are beginning to recognizing words or the picture in the books. The Reading Program is a great benefit to both children and volunteers. The children are working on their reading and building greater communication skills, while the volunteers are listening, reading and sharing with children.

Please join us at our offices located at 665 136th Ave in Holland, any Monday or Thursday at 6:00pm Events are weather permitting; status of cancellations are posted here: www.ethnicdiversity.org

For questions, please contact Jessenia at read@ethnicdiversity.org.

Migrant Mentoring Program

Seeing mentors meet migrant families for the first time is always so special to me.

While both sides may be a little nervous at first, they are also both eager and excited to get to know one another. Through making small talk about their lives and planning what the mentors and the children want to go do together, everyone starts to relax. By the end of the meeting, the mentors, families and children are glowing with the excitement of sharing new friendships and new experiences.

Being able to see this personal interaction between peoples and cultures is wonderful. You can see each person becoming more comfortable with the other and moving away from misunderstanding to understanding. Away from being strangers, to being friends.

Sarah Salguera, Program Director

Mentor Arden Post with Lucero & David Trujillo

The Migrant Mentoring Program provides social supports for children of migrant farm
workers and their families, and creates opportunities for cultural exchange between
volunteers and migrant families.
[learn more]

Leaders Meet to Discuss Diversity Issues

Advisory Council's First Meeting

On May 27, the first Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance Advisory Council met. Comprised of chief executives and community leaders, this group helps establish leadership consensus regarding key priorities, action strategies and performance measures that will have the greatest impact on achieving community and organization cultures that are genuinely inclusive to all. The council includes:

James W.F. Brooks, Council Co-Chair and Managing Partner Brooks Capital Management

Bob Woodrick, Council Co-Chair and Retired CEO of D&W Food Stores

Franco Bianchi, President/CEO of Haworth, Inc.

Dr. James Bultman, President of Hope College

Tony Castillo, Owner of The Milagro Six, Inc./ McDonalds

Noel Cuellar, CEO of Primera Plastics

Jeff Ebihara, President of EbiCo Group

Thomas Haas, President of Grand Valley State University

Dorothy A. Johnson, Trustee at W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Phillip J. Koning, President of Macatawa Bank

Larry Koops, Senior Vice President at Fifth Third Bank

Rodney Martin, Diversity Partner at Warner Norcross & Judd

Mayor Albert H. McGeehan, City of Holland

Jeffrey Padnos, President of Louis Padnos Iron & Metal

Pastor Mike Pitsenberger, Christ Memorial Church

David A. Rhem, Attorney at Varnum Law, LLP

Lynne Sherwood, Trustee at JSJ Corporation Foundation

Alan G. Vanderberg, County Administrator of Ottawa County
Brian Walker, President/CEO of Herman Miller, Inc.

Special thanks to Diane Talo, Principal of Delton Kellogg Middle School and former Diversity Alliance Board Member for facilitating during this meeting.

Gail's Corner

I am excited to hear our halls echo with "uno, dos, tres" this summer as applications for our two children's Spanish classes roll in.

In response to our numerous Spanish classes for adults, which have been running at both the beginner and intermediate level for the past several years, parents have requested Spanish classes for their children. We are pleased to now offer this service.

In preparing our children for the global interactions they will encounter throughout their life, understanding languages will be a key to navigating cultures and the new economy.

Great bodies of research indicate beyond a doubt that the best time to learn and retain languages takes place in the early years of human development. Training and exposure that begins in childhood will resonate for a lifetime.

In order to accommodate various levels of learning development, we are offering a Lower Elementary class and an Upper Elementary/ Middle School class.

Please consider enrolling your child in this interactive, participatory program and watch their Spanish language skills grow!

We look forward to engaging your child in a fun and stimulating summer of cultural exploration through the process of learning Spanish!

[click here to learn more or apply]

Gracias,

Gail Harrison
Executive Director

Did You Miss This?

Last month's newsletter featured a short, quick survey that requested the readerships' feedback regarding our monthly e-newsletters, if you have a few moments, please [click here].

News & Resources

Minority Women Lag In Health Care Access
2009-06-10 National Public Radio
Women of color receive far less access to formal health care services than their white counterparts, according to a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The report signals "sizeable health disparities" across all 50 states in women of different racial and ethnic groups. Former Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Louis Sullivan states, "the health professions are science-based professions whose activities are carried out in a social context ... we have well trained individuals ... they have to understand the customs, the language, the value systems of their patients so they can develop effective communication and can develop trust."
[listen to broadcast]

Hate in a Cocoon of Silence
2009-06-12 New York Times
Society needs to do a much better job of creating an environment where hateful beliefs are never ignored and suspicious behavior never goes unreported.
[read more]

Even Now, There's Risk in 'Driving While Black'
2009-06-15 New York Times
How deep-seated bias remains an obstacle to a "postracial" America.
[read more]

Protectors of the Earth Camp 2009

Registration Due: July 03
A three-day camp held on the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Reservation in Mt. Pleasant from July 28 to 30. Students will learn about the opportunities, careers, enjoyment and importance of natural resource studies. Students (8th -10th grades) that enjoy learning about natural resources and conservation with an emphasis on American Indian, African American and Latino culture and may be interested in pursuing a career in the natural resource field are invited to join us.
[visit website]

Notice: Office Temporarily Relocated

The Diversity Alliance offices were hit hard with flooding from the recent major storm. Repairs are scheduled for the next couple weeks. Until then, Diversity Alliance staff is working remotely to maintaining normal operations, programs, and services. Reading Program volunteers will meet in a room just north of our offices; signs will provide direction. Spanish Classes will run as scheduled.

Support the Diversity Alliance

The demand for our programs far exceeds our capacity.
We must, and can, reach more people in the next years -
a time of dramatic community change.

[learn more]