The Center for Cultural Agility

Great at teaching and/or leading children and have now been promoted to teaching and/or leading adults?

Knowledgeable about specific content and research areas but unsure how to teach it to adult learners?

Expert level in your role and now need to teach skills and competencies to others?

No need to struggle and question your knowledge, competency, skills, and ability to effectively engage adult learners!

Reach out to The Center for Cultural Agility for one-one preparation, guidance, and practice and/or to schedule a professional learning session for groups.

Image description: The Center for Cultural Agility flier announcing a new course: Culturally Agile Adult Learning Principles, with blue and gold graphics and text, images of people teaching and learning, and the website for The Center for Cultural Agility.

Leaders, who are you centering when labeling, preparing for, and engaging in conversations?

Image Description: White piece of paper with the text: "Disrupt Unhelpful Workplace Narratives, Leaders, stop preparing for and modeling Courageous Conversations, Brave Conversations, Difficult Conversations. Instead prepare for and model: Necessary Conversations." The Center for Cultural Agility logo and website at the bottom.

Image description: White piece of paper with the text, "Stop recruiting and hiring mission driven people when your organization is not driven by the stated mission." The Center for Cultural Agility logo and website at the bottom.

Image description: White piece of paper with the text: "In collaborative working and learning spaces, Accountability is not Blaming, Coaching is not Shaming, Conversation is not Inflaming. Be deliberate with giving and receiving information." The Center for Cultural Agility logo and website at the bottom.

Grateful for the trust that organizations and people place in me to assist with individual and systemic change.

This past weekend in Illinois, I was fortunate to share in-person space with youth development leaders and educators who I have served virtually as a Social Emotional Learning coach inn2025-2026. Engaging in coaching in these areas in a virtual format requires additional layers of consideration to build levels of trust for effective engagement. I also had the opportunity to collaborate with co-coach Cynthia Townsend founder of Ideas, Knowledge, and Skills, LLC https://www.consultingwithiksllc.com/

This process was created and made possible by Illinois AfterSchool Network and Bright Promises Foundation - led by two individuals and their respective boards and teams who recognize the value of Social Emotional Learning for youth, adults, and organizations. These two organizations put the resources and effort into skill and competency building for the youth development and Out-of-School Time sectors. They were also deliberate with everything - including acknowledging and uplifting the dual roles of some youth serving folks - they are parents/guardians AND work with youth in their organizations in multiple capacities (not always recognized or appreciated).

The coaching participants and their organizations also demonstrated their commitment to SEL for themselves, colleagues, children, and families - they showed up and remained actively present. It was refreshing to be part of a group of people with a common goal who put egos aside to make the world a better place.

The people I coached are from multiple personal and social identities, serve in a variety of positions in organizations and schools, and have different levels and types of experiences - all of which added to the breadth, depth, and learning for everyone.

The only way this works is for mission driven organizational leaders (IAN) to connect with funders who seek mission driven results (BPF) who seek and select practitioners who can move between pedagogy and andragogy (depending on the learners) and who deliver research and evidence-based content in engaging ways, and mission driven participants who want to increase capacity to better serve children and families. Everyone was deliberate in their contributions and honored the contributions of one another ❤️.

Thank you to everyone who trusted and welcomed me.

For free usable and practical SEL Resources, visit: https://www.brightpromises.org/sel-resources

Images: (1) a group of people from multiple personal and social identities smiling (2) schedule for the IAN 40th Conference (3) SEL resources provided to attendees (4) blank SEL Access Exchange certificate of completion.

Image description: White piece of paper with the text: "Answer questions with transparency so others do not have to question answers. Trust is the key ingredient in cultivating productive and ethical working and learning spaces." The Center for Cultural Agility logo and website at the bottom.

Image description: White piece of paper with the text: "Beliefs, values, and intent are intrapersonal and private. Actions, words, and impact are interpersonal and public. Understanding the difference established organizational culture, communication, and feedback while supporting individual and collective growth" and the Center for Cultural Agility logo and website at the bottom.

Please put answers in the comments...

Image description: a loaf of white bread in commercial packaging, with the first slice separated from the rest of the loaf with arrows pointing to it, with the text. "What do you call this?". The Center for Cultural Agility Logo and website on the bottom.

Image description: White piece of paper with the text, "Stop confusing... Proximity to Power for Ethics and Accomplishments. AND Titles for Competence and Value." Also The Center for Cultural Agility logo and website.

Image description: White piece of paper with the text: "When people are unwilling to share, leaders must ask themselves, is it because they do not care or do not dare?" The Center for Cultural Agility logo and website at the bottom.