Poverty expert to keynote Healthy Communities Summit

Northwest is among a group of area institutions and businesses helping to sponsor this year's Healthy Communities Summit, which will take place from 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, at the Civic Arena in downtown St. Joseph.

The summit is part of an ongoing regional initiative that seeks to engage individuals, businesses and organizations across northwest Missouri in promoting health, healthy lifestyles, responsible life choices and economic vitality.

This year's keynote speaker is Dr. Ruby Payne, a veteran educator and author of "A Framework for Understanding Poverty."

In her book, Payne discusses how "hidden" rules governing social status can create stumbling blocks for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

A former secondary-school principal and central-office administrator, Payne now speaks at about 200 seminars, workshops and conferences each year, spreading her message that children born into poverty need not become victims of an educational system that fails to meet their needs.

Payne will deliver a four-part workshop during the summit and is scheduled to speak at 8:20 a.m., 9:55 a.m., 12:55 p.m. and 2 p.m.

In addition to Northwest, the Healthy Communities Summit is supported by the Heartland Foundation, Heartland Health, Living Community of St. Joseph/Benedictine Health System, Missouri Western State University, North Central Missouri College, St. Francis Hospital and Health Services, the City of St. Joseph, Commerce Bank, Heartland Regional Medical Center Auxiliary, Farmers State Bank, LAN Resources LLC, Nodaway Valley Bank and Western Robidoux Inc.

For more information, please contact:

Anthony Brown,
News Bureau Manager
E-Mail: abrown@nwmissouri.edu
Phone (660) 562-1704
Fax (660) 562-1900

Northwest Missouri State University
219 Administration Building,
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468

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