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Building Awareness of Culture and Resources was developed to help people expand their capacity and broaden their perceptions of culture and resources. Resources are the basis for the decisions in families. The way in which the family unit makes decisions is influenced by their culture.

The materials on the CD were developed to assist people who assist others with personal, financial and/or community resource use. These materials help people take a step back and look at the issues around culture and resources. The CD includes:

Instructor Manual

This manual provides information for working with groups while using the materials found on the CD. There are ideas for organizing sessions as well as suggestions for how to use the various products on the CD for different types of groups.

Presentation Materials

The presentation manual guides instructors through the presentation and offers guidance for presenting to different groups and in different environments. For more information on the three presentation formats, refer to the manual. There are three different presentation files on the CD to accomodate different AV and presentation requirements.

View the Presentation

Topical Presentation with Audio

The CD features nine short, topic-focused versions of the original presentation with an additional audio component. Each presentation is designed as a stand-alone product with an introduction and an ending. Topics include:

• Purpose and Objectives
• Introduction to Culture
• Communication
• Micro Cultures
• Social Capital
• Culture within the Family
• Resource Management
• Housing
• Culture and Service

Video Materials

The video manual guides instuctors through the videos and provides an overview of the script for each video. The video segments feature a panel of persons from three different cultures. The Latino(a), Hmong, and Somali populations are growing in Minnesota and many agencies find that they need additional information and tools like these videos to better assist their communities.

View the Video Manual

The videos featured:

• Panel Introduction
• Questions for the Panel
• Latina Perspective (Liliana Padilla)
• Hmong Perspective (Seng Tchaa)
• Somalian Perspective (Hussein Samatar)
• Money and Homelands (Liliana Padilla)
• Islam and Interest Aversion
• Elder Care and Currency (Seng Tchaa)
• Working with Somalis (Hussein Samatar)
• Country of Origin (Liliana Padilla)
• Working with the Hmong (Seng Tchaa)

Info Sheets & Handouts

These short documents are intended to be distributed directly to participants of the program. The Info Sheets in particular may be helpful for those people who have not had direct access to the full program. For suggestions on using these materials, refer to the Instructor Manual.

The Info Sheets included:

Paying Cash - No problem? — This acknowledges that some groups primarily pay in cash vs. other forms of payment and gives advice on protection when paying.

Being Unbanked - What is it? What are the implications? — This increases the awareness of the unbanked population and the issues that surround their situation.

Consulates in Minnesota — This reviews the three consulates available in Minnesota, Canada, Norway, and Mexico and provides an overview of the 18 countries which comprise the Minnesota Consular Corps.

Sending Money Home: Remittance — This discusses remittances, the challenges of remittances, and why remittances are sent. This sheet may be particularly useful for people working with Latino groups.

The Handouts included:

Carrying Cultural Awareness Into Our Work — This can be administered before or after the program, to encourage participants to assess the cultural awareness that may or may not exist in their own agency or group.

Micro Cultures — This encourages participants to assess their own micro cultures that influence the way that they live. (This is built in as a group activity in the presentation.)

Cultural Variations — This asks participants to look at cultural variations that exist in their own lives. (This is built in as a group activity in the presentation.)

Evaluation — This is designed to be completed after viewing the presentation or other components of the program. It assess the knowledge and skills that existed before and after the program as well as collects other feedback relating to the delivery.

Handout: References — This is the complete list of references that the program and all relating materials were based on. This may be appropriate to distribute during the program, depending on the audience.

Handout: Contact Information — This is the complete list of program team members, including authors of related materials. This may be appropriate to distribute during the program, depending on the audience.

Supplemental Materials

The CD contains a copy of Language of MOney, which was developed and coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and appears by permission. It provides a deeper understanding of the economic systems in other cultures. It also assists frontline workers to become better equipped to help their clients successfully navigate the complex U.S. economic system.

Quantity discounts are now available!

• 10-29 copies: 20% savings ($24/each)
• 30-49 copies: 30% savings ($21/each)
• 50+ copies: 40% savings ($18/each)

You may also be interested in Dollar Works 2.

See the related program: Building Awareness of Culture and Resources

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this material is available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact your University of Minnesota Extension office or the Extension Store at (800) 876-8636.