Event Trainers
Shannon Fair, MS; Nelvin Cecil Howell, MFA; James A. McKenzie, MS
Shannon Fair, MS
Program Development Specialist, National Resource Center for Youth Services
Shannon has over 20 years experience working with individuals who have physical and emotional trauma, both as a Child Welfare Specialist and as a Rehabilitation Therapist. She is a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ young adults, working to educate families, youth workers, medical providers, and educators on how to be affirming and advocate effectively for the LGBTQ+ community. Her passion is empowering and educating young people as they prepare for adulthood, and she works with the Oklahoma Successful Adulthood program to support professionals who are helping youth during times of transition. She earned a master degree in physical rehabilitation from Vanderbilt University.
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Nelvin Cecil Howell, MFA
Program Development Specialist, NRCYS
Nelvin (They/Them/Theirs) has spent their career focusing on outreach and engagement to youth, adults, families, and communities. Nelvin works to create inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility in their trainings, workshops, projects, and programs. Nelvin utilizes collaboration, facilitation, and exploration in their trainings to create critical dialogue for change and advocacy for Queer youth, youth with Intellectual Development Disorder, immigrants, and youth of color. Through their work, they continually foster empathy and learn how the complexities of intersectionality impact their work, youth, colleagues, and communities within Oklahoma and nationally. Nelvin works in the Trauma Informed Care project to provide training and consulting in Oklahoma relating to trauma responsive care, youth development, diversity and inclusion, and crisis prevention. They earned their Master of Fine Arts degree from Kent State University.
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James A. McKenzie, MS
Senior Development Specialist, National Resource Center for Youth Services
James has a passion for helping organizations and individuals grow, excel, and meet their goals. He has over 20 years of direct practice and leadership experience ranging from out-of-school programs, to residential care, to juvenile justice case management. He has several years of experience in adult learning and performance. James uses his experiences to assist human service organizations across the country meet their staff training and development goals through national trainer certification courses, training/consulting projects, and publication resources management. He facilitates training in leadership, motivational interviewing, crisis management, and residential care practices across the country. James holds a certification in human resource management and earned his master degree in organizational psychology from The University of Oklahoma.
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This engaging online training course will build capacity for supportive adults to provide a welcoming environment for all youth so they can experience an inclusive space and be invited to share in the totality of their identities.
Using a variety of learning activities and open discussions, participants will explore LGBTQIA+ history and how it impacts the LGBTQIA+ community today. They will learn about current language and terminology related to the LGBTQIA+ community, build awareness for specific challenges LGBTQIA+ youth face, and how to access available resources for allies and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
This comprehensive course will be held every Thursday and Friday in April. Participants who complete to full course are eligible for CEU credit equivalent to 16 clock hours from the University of Oklahoma.
After you register, we will contact you via email with the Zoom link and password to the first session.
These sessions will be highly interactive. This training is not a webinar. To receive credit for this workshop, each participant must have their own device (tablet or computer), with the camera turned on and their face visible for the duration of the session. Participants must attend all eight sessions to receive a certificate of completion. Please watch for update e-mails regarding video links, additional activity materials such as paper, pencils, markers, etc.
