DKG: Empowering Women in Leadership

One of the goals of the Educational Excellence Committee is to Empower women through leadership opportunities.  An objective to help us reach this goal is to Empower leaders to impact policy and people worldwide.  These words bring an image to my mind of Rosie the Riveter or Wonder Woman.  I visualize myself standing tall, confidently taking on any roadblock that would potentially stifle progress for women around the world.  This picture is inspiring, but it does not accurately describe my ability to empower leaders, who impact policy, that ultimately impacts people worldwide.

               Empowering leaders is often accomplished through one on one conversations, emails, or other personal communication.  I have the privilege of representing the citizens of my community as an elected member of our City Council.  My decisions or votes don’t have global impact, but they certainly impact policy and people in my little corner of the world.  I serve in that capacity because a group of women took the iniative to empower me through leadership opportunities.  I am forever grateful to them!

              Ask yourself how you can empower a leader, or potential leader.  Will words of encouragement or offers of assistance inspire a woman you know to run for elected office? Could your email impact a legislator’s vote? Would your involvement in a DKG Forum help inform others of educational issues around the world? Please consider how you can help Empower women through leadership opportunities. 

Register Now! Time is running out!

The Committee on Teaching About the United Nations (CTAUN - pronounced Cee-tawn) invites everyone to the 18^th annual conference at the United Nations Headquarters in New York –

Refugees: The 21^st Century Challenge.

Friday, 27 January 2017

Refugees and migrants have been a large part of US history bringing new energy, ideas, innovations, cultures, customs and more, creating a nation of diversity and power which has become a role model for the world.

Today we face the largest refugee/migrant movement since the Second World War and, wherever we turn, we are bombarded by media images of desperate but determined faces of people on frightening journeys to overburdened and increasingly unwelcoming countries.

How do we bridge the fear on both sides? What are the cross-cultural issues involved in assimilation, and the challenges to host nations? What are the implications of a generation deprived of its education and what can we, as individuals and educators, do to remedy that?

The CTAUN conference will present representatives from the United Nations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and refugees themselves to tell their story, what is being done and what actions need to be taken. To learn more and register go to www.teachun.org.

Can’t make it in January?  Well, follow along with the EEC committee as we provide updates and reviews on this event in the future. And check out the DKG@UN newsletters for information on global issues put forward there by your NGO/UN representatives.

Join us in Nashville!

With over 100 breakout sessions, several outstanding keynote speakers, a variety of Hot Topics Sessions and mini sessions in the Cyber Center, everyone will find something of interest at the 2016 International Convention in Nashville.  Come ready to learn, to network and to experience convention, DKG, and Nashville.

Check out the schedules for all sessions posted under Events on the DKG website, download the DKG App or see the convention program when you get to convention for more details.  Not registered yet?  There is still time!

In addition to meeting representatives from UNICEF (Schools for Africa), visiting with our NGO representatives (DKG and the UN), and attending the Forums (DKG impacting legislation around the world), you can learn more about the "C" in EEC by attending the International Educational Excellence Committee's breakout session.

See you in Nashville!

CTAUN: Reaching for a Sustainable World

International Educational Excellence Committee responsibilities include the promotion of the DGK and United Nations relationship and, therefore, the Committee on Teaching About the UN (CTAUN). 

Several committee members were able to attend the 2016 conference held at the UN Headquarters in New York in January. In addition to “hosting” the second worst snowstorm the city has seen, the conference provided information and resources for members and educators to develop global awareness in schools and communities around the world.

The focus of the conference was: Stewardship for a Sustainable World: 

Education in the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).  With 17 SDGs, they are amazingly interwoven and include No Poverty, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action, and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.  From the panels about ending hunger and to those on taking care of the earth, topics lent themselves to every level of education.  A spotlight moment was given to Christine Leronimo, the author of A Thirst for Home:  A Story of Water Across the World, which would be a great read-aloud in any elementary classroom.

Sustainable Development Goals can only be reached if we all work together: these are values we share as educators and as human beings. For more information and the date of future conferences, visit www.ctaun.org.