College of Education partners with CTAUN for conference on poverty

by Claire Miller

The College of Education has partnered with the Committee on Teaching about the United Nations (CTAUN) to host “Taking Action toward Eradicating Poverty,” a day-long conference aimed at promoting the discussion of eradicating poverty supported through a collaboration of higher education institutions including Georgia State University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Kennesaw State University, Emory University, Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University.

The conference, scheduled for March 2, 2013, in the College of Education (30 Pryor St., Atlanta), will feature a keynote speech followed by break-out sessions on topics ranging from the economic issues of poverty to poverty and education.

Sharon N. Hill, executive director of the Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, will serve as the event's keynote speaker. Other guest speakers include Jacquelyn Howard-Matthews, international political economist; Joanna Johnson, Georgia Department of Education - Department of Homelessness; Tony Johns, director of City of Refuge; and Julie Washington, Georgia State University’s Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education.

Conference co-chairs Gwen Benson, associate dean for school, community and international partnerships, and Susan Ogletree, director of the college’s Educational Research Bureau, said the event is designed to bring together speakers with different areas of expertise to facilitate a conversation around the effects of poverty on a number of important topics.

“The conference will highlight discuss around the eradication of poverty and its impact on issues ranging from education, health, politics, technology, disability and homelessness,” Benson said. “We hope to get our students and community more involved in this discussion.”

CTAUN’s mission is to "provide educators worldwide with opportunities to learn about the work of the United Nations and to incorporate this global awareness into curricula and school activities at all levels," according to its website.

Registration costs $10 for students and $35 for the general public. For more information or to register, visit www.ctaun.org.