Ilsa Govan
Cultural Competency Trainer and Consultant

• http://www.culturesconnecting.com

I provide consulting and professional development to assist organizations in safely entering into conversations about race and culture and examine their current policies and practices for bias. Participants in our workshops learn new skills they can apply in the workplace and beyond.

Support teachers in creating and implementing culturally responsive classroom practices.

I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Special Education from Western Washington University and my Master's Degree in Bicultural Human Development from Pacific Oaks College Northwest. For my thesis, I spent a year studying effective European American teachers of African American students in three Seattle elementary schools.

I have more than fifteen years of experience as a classroom teacher and anti-racist community organizer. I began working for social and environmental justice in high school with my involvement in advocating for Native American rights. Since then I have facilitated and participated in numerous study circles, conferences and workshops, including my work as an Equity and Race Specialist for Seattle Public Schools. I currently co-coordinates the group WEACT (The Work of European Americans as Cultural Teachers), which encourages educators to challenge and support each other with cross-cultural interactions.