Somali Family Service (SFS) held a Cultural Awareness & Sensitivity Training for School Staff at Horace Mann Middle School on May 27th and 28th. The workshops focused on informing school staff on Somali culture and how it might impact students in and outside of the classroom. A diverse group of teachers, social workers, and other school staff were in attendance. The workshops included presentations and ongoing discourse between the speakers and the audience.
Najla Ibrahim, Health Coordinator at SFS, first briefed attendees on Somali history and culture and how that might relate to the unique needs of Somali students both in and out of the classroom. Ghazia Hassan, SFS’ Youth Program Manager, then spoke about the programs at SFS designed to address those needs. These include Autism Forums, Youth Workshops, Tutoring, and Interpretation Services. While both speakers highlighted the importance of being informed about Somali culture in general, they also mentioned that even within the community, students are diverse in their needs and experiences. Reflecting this, Najla Ibrahim stated that “asking questions is key to providing individualized and culturally sensitive education to students and families”. SFS would like to thank Horace Mann Middle School, San Diego Unified School District and especially the attendees for seeking out ways to increase their cultural competency to better serve San Diego’s Somali community both in and out of the classroom.