As a result of this training, participants will gain a new understanding of how our past influences our present. They will learn how their own personal socialization and past experiences influence their perceptions of, and interactions with, those around them. They will also learn about the tools of cultural competence—the cultural competence model; skills of cultural competence; and the barriers that get in the way of culturally competent thoughts and behaviors.

Presenters: Cultural Competency Center's Dr. Teresa Wanser-Ernst, Dr. Dawn Mazzie, and Dr. Randal Ernst

Dr. Teresa Wanser-Ernst is a co-founder and evaluation consultant with the Cultural Competence Center. Teresa recently retired from Lincoln Public Schools where she held the position of assessment/evaluation specialist for more than twenty years and was an elementary teacher for ten years. Teresa was a founding member of the LPS Multicultural Advisory Committee and served as a steering committee member since its inception. Teresa has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. She serves on the HopeLNK, Lincoln/Lancaster county suicide prevention coalition.

Dr. Dawn Mazzie is an assessment and evaluation specialist for Lincoln Public Schools (LPS). Dawn has worked on the Cultural Proficiency Implementation Committee under the leadership of Thomas Christie as he navigated the district on its journey toward cultural proficiency. Dawn was a member of Advocates Class VII with Leadership Lincoln and subsequently served on the Advocates Advisory Board helping with programming. Dawn served on the board for Nebraska Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Currently, Dawn serves on the YWCA-Lincoln finance committee. She is also the current vice-president and immediate past president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Psi Chi Omega Chapter in Lincoln.

Dr. Randal Ernst is Professor Emeritus of Education at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Prior to becoming a professor, Randal was a teacher and curriculum specialist for the Lincoln Public Schools. Honors include the NAACP Dedication to Children Award and the Leola Bullock Multicultural Award for fostering multicultural understanding. Randal facilitates cultural competency workshops as well as workshops fostering well-being and resilience.