By Nicole Pokorney At the end of October, I was able to be part of a University of Minnesota Extension international professional development opportunity in Argentina. The purpose of the learning experience was to build cultural agility, establish new international partnerships and advance the DEI goals within our organization. While we dove deep into empanadas and architectural wonders, the immersion into the cultural atmosphere was where we felt the stretch of our perspectives and biases. During a group reflection one evening, we were discussing the colonization of Argentina and the perceived view that the majority of Argentines had of the indigenous and black populations. We were wrestling with the concept and comparisons when a colleague stated that it was good for us to “interrupt our own narratives.” This simple statement encapsulated the feeling that we were having as we looked at our own stories and how we related to others. In a recent youth training, I presented the 4-H True ...
Our youth development educators bridge research and practice. In this blog, they offer their views on what's happening in the field of youth development, with an eye to evidence-based research written by themselves and others in our field. We welcome your comments.