Cultural Competence for Working Professionals

Training Description: This highly interactive and participatory course is designed for anyone concerned about the effectiveness of people working and living in multicultural societies. The course experiences will include lecturettes, group discussions & activities, intercultural simulations & games, case studies, and more. All course activities are designed for application to adult learners’ everyday encounters with individuals from other cultures.

Learners will find this course valuable at several levels. First, the course provides an intellectual framework and a solid theoretical base for understanding and interpreting various cultures. Second, the course bridges theory and practice through a series of hands-on exercises, simulations, stories, and real-world examples. Third, the many exercises and simulations in this course involve all three learning realms (cognitive, affective, and behavioral), thus optimizing learners’ skill development necessary for effective intercultural communication. In addition, the course’s approach and structure allows learners to obtain insights into their own ways of thinking and acting when they deal with people from other cultures.

The course major topics include:

• Communication and Culture
• Explaining Cultural Differences: Beliefs, Values, & Norms Across Cultures
• Interpersonal Relationships Across Cultures
• Constructive Intercultural Conflict Management
• Cultural Adaptation & Culture Shock

**All the instructional materials, including exercises, simulations, & games, will be provided in the class. No prior knowledge of the above mentioned concepts is necessary.

Duration of Training: 8-40 hours

Number of Participants: Due to the interactive nature of the course, the maximum number of participants (per section) is limited to 20.

The training fees are due on the first day of class. Please bring your payment in the form of a check payable to VCU-SWS. Click here for Registration.