AMERICUS — Author and renowned educator Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D., will return to South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) on March 13 for a second year to provide a one-day professional development workshop to area educators. The event is free and will be held from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on the college’s Americus campus in the John M. Pope Industrial Technology Center.
Payne will present a new study titled “Building Emotional Resources,” which is based off of her new book, “How Much of Yourself Do You Own? A Process for Building Your Emotional Resources.” Educators from South Georgia Tech’s seven-county service area, which includes Crisp, Macon, Marion, Schley, Sumter, Taylor and Webster Counties, are invited to attend.
Payne is the founder of aha! Process and an established author, speaker, publisher and career educator. She has written or co-authored more than a dozen books on issues of poverty in the areas of education, social services, business, communities, churches, relationships, and leadership.
She has been recognized internationally for her book, “A Framework for Understanding Poverty.” Her goal of offering strategies for successfully raising student achievement and overcoming economic class barriers has become the cornerstone of aha! Process’ K-12 work, used with school districts across the county. Payne also works with higher education and community groups with a focus on creating sustainable success for everyone. With consultants and publications around the world, aha! Process helps communities move individuals, families, and entire neighborhoods out of poverty and into sustainability and growth.
Her work stems from more than 30 years of experience in public schools as a high school department head, principal, and central office administrator of staff development. She has been hailed as an expert on the mindsets of economic classes and overcoming the hurdles of poverty. After changing the conversation in education to focus on poverty, Payne’s work has expanded into social services, criminal justice, healthcare, the workplace and more.
For more information about the workshop and to RSVP, contact Nancy Fitzgerald at 229.931.2508 or nfitzgerald@southgatech.edu. Reservations must be made by March 5. Limited seating is available for this event.