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Opening Plenary: Beyond Surviving: Making the Most of your Cross-Cultural Experience
Description: In an increasingly globalized world, with an ever faster rate of change requiring more adaptability than ever before – those with cross-cultural experience actually have an incredible advantage! Transition is difficult, but there are strategies to overcome the challenges and cultivate the benefits of an international experience not just for personal growth and success, but for the betterment of society as a whole. Learning Objectives:
- Learn the challenges faced through cultural transition and how they are becoming common on a much wider scale.
- Learn the benefits gained through cultural transition managed well and how they are increasingly needed on a much wider scale.
- Focus on research-backed strategies to overcome challenges and devise tools for continued growth.
- Explore the connection between a cross-cultural experience, healthy transition and adaptation skills, and the creation of a more equitable, creative, and empathetic society. Presenter: Christopher O’Shaughnessy
Teen Workshop: Forging Resilience in Difficult Places
Description: Right now, there seems to be a lot of focus on the need to be resilient. But what exactly is resilience? Is it really on the decline? Where did it go and why? How can we grow it...and what do we even do with it when we do have it? We're going to dive into resilience headfirst and a come back up to the surface ready to take on the world!
Learning Objectives :
Teen Workshop "Global Nomads: Harnessing the Super Power of Adaptation and Change Management as Foreign Service Youth"
Description: Embark on a transformative journey with us as we delve into the unique superpower possessed by Foreign Service Youth: Adaptation and Change Management. Unlike any other, this superpower naturally evolves as they traverse the globe alongside their families, assigned and posted to various corners of the world.
In this workshop, we will explore the extraordinary opportunity these young individuals have to cultivate invaluable skills early in life. With the right mindset and curiosity, following their parents around the world becomes a catalyst for accelerated learning. From mastering languages and immersing in diverse cultures to understanding different histories and embracing varied ways of life, the adventure knows no bounds.
Moreover, traversing continents nurtures a global network of friendships and promises a myriad of adventures. These experiences not only enrich their lives, but also shape them into compelling, dynamic individuals destined to stand out as teenagers and adults. While stability and rootedness have their merits, the ability to adapt to new environments, embrace change, and thrive amidst uncertainty is a superpower unique to Foreign Service Youth.
Join us to unlock the full potential of this superpower! Learn to harness the advantages of embracing new experiences, adjusting to change, and thriving in dynamic environments. Seize the opportunity to shape a life filled with resilience, curiosity, and global perspective. After all, in a world where change is the only constant, Foreign Service Youth possess the ultimate advantage - if they dare to seize it!
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the concept of adaptation and change management as a unique superpower inherent in Foreign Service Youth.
- Explore the benefits of embracing diversity, languages, cultures, and histories encountered through global travel.
- Develop strategies for effective adaptation to new environments and experiences.
- Cultivate resilience and flexibility in the face of uncertainty and change.
- Foster curiosity and open-mindedness towards different ways of life.
- Learn techniques for building and maintaining a global network of friendships and connections.
- Recognize the value of their unique experiences in shaping a well-rounded and interesting identity.
- Empower participants to own and leverage their opportunities for growth and learning as Foreign Service Youth.
Presenter: Tommy Chambers
Elementary Student Workshop: Our Tangled Web
Description: Personal connections to a variety of cultures, nations, customs, and/or experiences can leave children feeling like a tangled web. Fragmented pieces of their identity are strategically exercised depending on their environment or circumstances. During this short workshop we will create a mixed-medium art piece that provides a wholistic representation of each individual child while also representing a community of unique individuals with shared experiences. Children and families can use the art piece as a backdrop for pictures.
Learning Objectives:
- Recognize personal strengths and interests
- Perspective-Taking: Considering others' views/experiences
- Understand the relationship between authentic connection and sense of belonging
About the Presenter:
Michelle Goldshlag is Co-founder and CEO of Cultured Kids, a nonprofit organization on a mission to cultivate empathy and belonging through innovative, multidisciplinary youth programs that embrace cultural differences and unify school communities. She lives with her husband and two children in Northern Virginia.
Elementary Student Workshop:: Cultivating Social Skills/Competencies Yields Social Success
Description: For many kids, the development of social competencies doesn’t come naturally.
Social Grace will provide concrete strategies on developing a child’s social
competencies and confidence.
Learning Objectives:
● Understand the key components of developing social competencies.
● Develop tools to initiate and maintain friendships both locally and in new or temporary settings.
● Explore fun and engaging activities to practice social competencies in real-life situations.
Presenter: Ginny Conroy
Parents: Maintaining Routines When Nothing is Routine
Description: FS families' lives are frequently impacted by transition and change while children thrive on routine. Social Grace will share ways to maintain elements of routine in your children's’ lives when the PCS world around you is shifting.
Learning Objectives:
● Identify key routines that contribute to a child’s sense of stability.
● Learn practical strategies for maintaining these routines during transitions.
● Understand the impact of routine on children’s emotional and behavioral responses.
● Discover tools and techniques for adapting routines to fit shifting circumstances.
● Explore ways to involve children in the process of maintaining and adjusting routines.
About the Presenter: Ginny Conroy
Founder & Managing Director, Social Grace
Growing up in a neurodiverse family, Ginny discovered a deep passion for working with children, young adults, and families with diverse abilities and mental health challenges. With a rich background in behavior analysis, crisis intervention, and the development of social and executive function competencies, Ginny has dedicated her career to enhancing the lives of individuals of all abilities. A special educator, behavior analyst, and neuroscientist, Ginny holds a Masters degree from The George Washington University. She currently serves on the Board of Advisors for Enabled Intelligence and the National Security Neurodiversity Network. Her past service includes contributions to her local Community Services Board and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Northern Virginia Young Adult Advocacy Workgroup. Ginny is also deeply engaged with Our Stomping Ground, a nonprofit organization close to her heart. She leads a free family support network, dedicated to building inclusive communities and equipping neurodiverse individuals with the tools and strategies they need to thrive. Those who know Ginny often hear her say, “And I’m just getting started!
