PRE-CONFERENCE INSTITUTES
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Two pre-Conference institutes will focus on emerging issues of importance for families, communities and grantmakers:
INSTITUTE 1: Border Realities: A Case Study on the Impact of Public Policy on Children, Youth, and Families
12:45pm – 6:00pm
Session Coordinators: Jon Law, Chief Operating Officer, Paso del Norte Health Foundation, El Paso, TX;
Felecia Bartow, Director of Special Projects, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR);
Juanita Galaviz, Program Administrator, Paso del Norte Health Foundation, El Paso, TX
Presenters: Terrance Mulligan, President, Napa Valley Community Foundation, Napa CA
Ruben Garcia, Executive Director, Annunciation House, El Paso TX
Guest Speakers to be announced sharing the immigrant experience, Annunciation House
This institute is designed to expand participants’ understanding of the realities of life along the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as the broader implications of U.S. immigration policy for children, youth, families, and communities throughout the country. While participants will not cross the U.S.-Mexico border during the institute, they will have a chance to visit key landmarks in El Paso, such as the Chamizal National Memorial, and hear from various experts on these issues as well as migrants who have been directly impacted by border violence.
The institute will begin with an introduction to the Cd. Juárez/El Paso community and an overview of the current human rights crisis in the region. Due to four years of drug-cartel related violence, the region has experienced significant migration, community development challenges, and an increased demand on mental health providers.
Participants will also have the opportunity to explore how border realities are translated across the United States through the implementation of increasingly harsh enforcement and detention policies. While nearly one-third of immigrants living in the United States (an estimated 11 to 12 million) lack proper authorization to remain in the country, federal enforcement efforts have profound implications for the health, safety, well-being, and basic rights of all children and families—immigrant and native-born alike.
The institute will conclude by considering, from the perspective of funders, the implications of borders, in the broadest sense. A range of opportunities for funder involvement will be discussed, including model programs and best practices, capacity-building strategies, advocacy opportunities, and monitoring/research needs. Pre-registration is required via GCYF’s online conference registration system.
INSTITUTE 2: A Promising Future is a Safe Future
1:00pm – 5:00pm
Session Coordinator: Natacha Blain, Associate Director, Grantmakers for Children, Youth and Families. Sponsored by GCYF’s Healthy Men, Healthy Communities Initiative.
Moderators & Presenters: Ana Marie Argilagos, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International and Philanthropic Innovation, HUD
Deborah Zuloaga, President and CEO of United Way of El Paso
Suzanne Immerman, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education
Thomas Abt, Chief of Staff, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice
The institute will draw on experiences of El Paso – one of the safest cities in the country – to explore the systems and partnerships that help El Paso nurture dreams and build futures and help grantmakers strategize about how to better serve the needs of families from diverse cultural backgrounds. The session will also consider opportunities and challenges of breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and achieving economic stability through targeted investments in education, housing, access to healthcare and public safety and tackling the complex social issues of youth violence. Pre-registration is required via GCYF’s online conference registration system.
* Times may vary slightly to accommodate speakers/sites.