Cultural Broker Training: A Leader's session

Join MANSO on October 21st for this two hour learning and discussion opportunity on the role of Cultural Brokers in your organization, led by Dania el Chaar.  

For Leaders: This workshop is intended for leaders, program directors, or any personnel who work in a leadership position in the settlement sector. No prior knowledge about the topic is required.

We are holding another session designated for front-line staff, please refer to this Cultural Broker training: front-line staff session to register your staff.

Presenter: Dania El Chaar holds a PhD from the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. Her areas of specialization include newcomer family settlement in Alberta, immigrant and refugee youth educational journeys in Canada, as well as culturally responsive teaching, among others.

She has been a key volunteer in her community, being in direct contact with newly arrived families as well as through sitting on the Immigrant Advisory Table of the Calgary Local Immigrant Partnership at the City of Calgary.

Dania has taught, published, and presented widely, both locally and internationally on topics such as family adjustment in the country of migration, culturally responsive teaching, the role of cultural brokers, and newcomer youth social and educational integration in Canadian schools. 

Leader's session - Description: Cultural Brokering is the “act of bridging, linking or mediating between groups or persons of different cultural backgrounds for the purpose of reducing conflict or producing change” (Jezewski, 1990).  Many of your staff likely take on this role, either formally or informally, and require support and training in the form of establishing boundaries, managing confidentiality, and setting expectations.

The degree to which the leaders in settlement agencies are aware of the essential role cultural brokers play in newcomers' settlement journeys will affect their decisions. Such awareness will help leaders make decisions in the best interest of newcomers when establishing new policies and developing programming.  

• Goals for Leader's session
  • To introduce the concept of cultural broker - what does this mean to you as a Leader?
  • To clarify the role Leaders can play in policy making based on their understanding of cultural brokerage.
  • To identify challenges Leaders may face with regards to cultural brokerage and how these challenges can be appropriately addressed. 
  • To familiarize leaders with future trends in settlement and the role cultural brokers can play.
    
     
• Outcomes for Leader's session
  • To define the role and characteristics of cultural brokers  
  • To Identify a Leader's/decision maker's role in the process of cultural brokering 
  • To positively influence other settlement Leaders in planning or establishing cultural brokerage policies.
  • To be equipped with better knowledge about current and future trends in the field of culturally responsive practice.   This will in turn lead to better decision making.

• This is an online event. You will need to have access to a computer/ laptop or other devices with a webcam & microphone, as well as an internet connection.
• Accessibility accommodations are available on advance request. If you have any questions, concerns or inquiries, please send us an email at info@mansomanitoba.ca or call 204-272-0872.
• MANSO has a PD access fund for our Full members and Friends of MANSO members.  For more details, and for information about our cancellation and/or reimbursement policy, please see our Professional Development Policy.