Diverse Paths, Common Dreams

Plenary Session: Tuesday, April 17, 2012

We CAN Make a Difference for Children and Families Living in the Crisis of Poverty
Donna Beegle, Ed.D., Speaker, Trainer & Author, Communication Across Barriers

Have you tried and tried to get through to a family in poverty, but felt you could not connect? Have you struggled to understand behavior and communication of those you serve? If you have ever been frustrated in your efforts to serve children and families in poverty, this plenary is for you. Join us for an insider’s perspective on “what works” to prevent child abuse and assist children and families to move out and stay out of the war zone of poverty. Dr. Donna M. Beegle brings the combined experience of growing up in the deepest poverty in America, dropping out of school at age 15 to marry, obtaining a GED at 26, and studying poverty all the way to the Doctorate level. This plenary will re-energize you and provide proven strategies and techniques for changing the lives of those you serve.

Special Workshop Session following Tuesdays' Plenary Session
Donna Beegle will be presenting a workshop on Tuesday following the plenary session. The following is a description of the workshop.

Breaking Poverty Barriers
This life-changing workshop builds on concepts introduced in the plenary and provides participants with a deeper foundation for breaking the iron cage of poverty. National poverty expert, Dr. Donna M. Beegle will provide concrete tools that can be used right away to improve outcomes for children and families. Participants will gain skills around engagement and outreach, how to build relationships that make a difference, and methods to communicate more effectively across poverty barriers.

Biography
Donna M. Beegle, Ed.D is a highly experienced national public speaker, discussion leader, trainer, and author of “See Poverty, Be The Difference,” a resource book for professionals who work with people in poverty. Her newest publication, "An Action Approach to Educating Students in Poverty", offers groundbreaking strategies for breaking poverty barriers. Donna's passion is to ensure that all people have authentic opportunities to move out and stay out of the war zone of poverty.

Donna brings unique insights for breaking poverty barriers, having lived in extreme poverty for 28 years. For the past 22 years, she has studied and worked with educators, social service professionals, justice professionals, faith and community based organizations, and health professionals in 47 states and Canada to improve outcomes for people living in the crisis of poverty. Her inspiring story and work have been featured in newspapers, TV and on national programs such as PBS.

Donna is the only member of her family who has not been incarcerated. After growing up in generational migrant labor poverty, leaving school for marriage at 15, having two children and continuing to cope with poverty, she found herself, at 25, with no husband, little education, and no job skills. What followed in 10 short years were: self-confidence, a G.E.D., an A.A. in Journalism, a B.A. (with honors) in Communications, a Master’s Degree in Communication with a minor in Gender Studies (with honors), and completion of a Doctorate Degree.

In 2006, Donna founded PovertyBridge, a non-profit dedicated to changing the lives of people living in poverty. PovertyBridge strives to remove the shame taught by the experiences of poverty, rebuild hope stolen by poverty, and reduce the isolation of poverty by connecting people in poverty to people who are not.

Donna is honored to have received several awards and recognition for her work, including the 2011 Oregon Ethics in Business Award; New Mexico State Bar Foundation's 2008 National Speaker of the Year. In 2010, Portland State University’s School of Social Work dedicated the Donna M. Beegle Community Classrooms in her honor.

Donna Beegle's book, See Poverty...Be the Difference: Discovering the Missing Pieces for Helping People Move Out of Poverty, will also be avaliable for purchase at the conference.