November 15, 2005

Purdue Extension honored with award for multiculturalism

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) honored Purdue Extension on Saturday (Nov. 12) as the 2005 recipient of its Multicultural Agency/Institution Award.

Purdue Extension earned the award for its Intercultural Action Committee for Extension. The committee is responsible for many activities related to multiculturalism and internationalism. Each year NAME presents many awards, and the Multicultural Agency/Institution Award recognizes a group for outstanding service to the public through intercultural understanding.

Intercultural Action Committee for Extension focuses on creating an environment in which people can acknowledge differences of others in society, said Pamala Morris, associate professor of youth development and agriculture education and committee chairperson.

"The goal of the committee is to have a staff reflective of state demographics and to provide training opportunities for the staff to broaden their understanding of the interdependence in the world," Morris said.

The committee provides many staff development opportunities for understanding multiculturalism, Morris said. There are workshops such as Understanding Multiculturalism and Understanding the Demographic Changes in Indiana. The committee also sponsors videoconferencing lunch discussions on topics including building culturally diverse audiences, international Extension opportunities, and diverse 4-H and youth programs. Morris said that training sessions, such as civil rights compliance and diversity awareness, are training tools for Purdue Extension staff.

Communities also benefit from the Intercultural Action Committee for Extension through newsletter articles written to raise public awareness of multiculturalism as well as workshops to help community residents to learn more about diversity.

More information on the Intercultural Action Committee for Extension is available online.

Writer: Chelsea Carter, (765) 494-8402, carterc@purdue.edu

Sources: Pamala Morris, (765) 494-8293, pmorris@purdue.edu

David Petritz, (765) 494-8489, dpetritz@purdue.edu

Marjorie Kyle, (480) 461-7634, Marjorie.kyle@mcmail.maricopa.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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