Now accepting applications for all dates in 2009.  Reserve your dates TODAY!

BRIDGING THE COMMUNICATION GAP: SPANISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING FOR ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS

ABOUT THE COURSE: This day-long, on-site course is A MUST HAVE for your organization! According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Hispanic and Latino population is the largest minority group in the United States, with 45.5 million people comprising 15.1 percent of the population. Projections show this group tripling by 2060. According to this projection, Hispanic-Americans will constitute 24 percent of the nation's total population.

Advance your organization's communications skills now! Equip your organization with the tools to increase communication and cultural understanding of the Hispanic community. Participants will learn a step-by-step approach to best utilize available resources while being mindful of cultural barriers and safety & service standards. Participants will also learn about the cultural implications of proxemics, paralanguage and other forms of non-verbal communication. 

Participants will also learn how to broaden their horizons and your constituent base by utilizing media, networking, and other resources that are key to more than 45.5 million Spanish speakers in the US today. This hands-on method will encourage your staff, volunteers and board members to work together to open doors to an often untapped population in animal sheltering.

COURSE TOPICS

• Changing U.S. Demographics
• Communications
• Spanish Basics
• Public Relations
• Cultural and Language Differences
• Verbal and Non-Verbal Language

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR 

Miguel Abi-Hassan

• B.S. Industrial Psychology and Animal Behavior
• Director of Fayette County Animal Control
• Fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese & French

Miguel Abi-Hassan has over a decade of experience in Animal Welfare across the globe. He has worked with Wildlife Refuges in Venezuela and Brazil, low-income veterinarians, various Humane Societies along the Eastern Coast, and currently serves as the Director of Animal Control for Fayette County, Georgia. In addition he is a South Eastern Animal Control board member as well as the collective voice for Animal Control’s interest on the Companion Animal Advisory Board for the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Throughout his term in Animal Welfare, Abi-hassan has also been a consultant and an avid instructor. He enjoys spreading his knowledge in the fields of Communication, Spanish language, Public Relations, Stress Management and Animal Welfare Ethics wherever his travels may take him.

Interested in hosting this course?  Contact Melanie Froemke at mfroemke@hsus.org for more information.