Campus Events and Media Releases

University of Maine at Farmington Presents Second Annual Teaching and Working in a Diverse World Conference, Oct. 22

FARMINGTON, ME (October 8, 2009)--University of Maine at Farmington is proud
to present its second annual "Teaching and Working in a Diverse World"
conference--exploring the impact of poverty on schools, families and
communities. This informative, half-day conference is free and open to the
public and will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Thursday, October
22, in North Dining Hall A, B and C; and room CR123 in the UMF Olsen
Student Center.

The conference will open with a keynote address by Dr. Elyse Pratt-Ronco,
an educational counselor for the UMF Upward Bound program. An educator who
has spent the last 10 years working with adolescents living in rural
poverty, Pratt-Ronco will speak on how poverty impacts students' lives. Her
presentation will consider the complex effects of poverty and how it can
result in both negative and nurturing outcomes.

Following the introductory address, there will be a series of 50-minute
sessions presented by faculty, students and community members on the
challenges of living and learning with poverty. Included among the topics
to be discussed are: "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Poverty in
Maine," "Myths and Realities of Financial Poverty," "Do Rural Children Have
a Culture?" and "Leveling the Playing Field in Technology."

According to Johanna Prince, UMF instructor and conference organizer,
poverty in Maine continues to increase, and the impact of this can be seen
in schools across the state. "The focus of this year's conference is to
explore the many faces of poverty in Maine and provide participants with
the practical knowledge, support and resources that can help all students
succeed."

In keeping with the conference's goal of making a difference to children
living in poverty, a food drive to support the Farmington and Wilton food
pantries will be held the day of the conference. Attendees are encouraged
to bring non-perishable food items, especially dried pasta and canned baked
beans, to the conference registration table in the UMF Olsen Student.

Participants are welcome to attend one or multiple sessions and
registration is not required. For more details on the conference, please
visit the conference website at
http://teachereducation.umf.maine.edu/diversity-conference/2009-2010/. This
educational event is sponsored by the UMF Offices of the Associate Provost
and the Dean of Education, and the UMF Diversity Committee.

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Media Contact: Johanna Prince, UMF instructor, at 207-778-7170, or
johanna.prince@maine.edu.