PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: Southeast Ministries
Negotiation Works’ newest partnership is with Southeast Ministry, a service provider in Anacostia that offers programs for low-literate adult learners who have high barriers to employment. Their clients, who typically arrive at Southeast Ministry with a 3rd grade math level and a 5th grade reading level, have frequently been turned away from other education and job readiness programs, often because they are unable to meet the academic eligibility requirements. Southeast Ministry’s programs include individual and group GED preparation, job readiness and supportive services, and advocacy on the city level for policies that assist low-income and low-literate learners.
Negotiation Works approached Southeast Ministry in 2019 to inquire whether they would be interested in offering their clients negotiation classes as a complement to their education and other supportive services. Evita Leonard, Southeast Ministry’s Interim Executive Director, enthusiastically agreed. She explains "[T]he majority of our students are women of color who consistently negotiate with people and systems who have more power than they do. They must negotiate with power figures for food, shelter, and subsistence. They must negotiate with drug dealers for safe passage home for their families. It is easy to feel powerless in situations like this. Negotiations Works teaches participants to recognize the power they do have and to leverage it."
Beginning in January 2020, Negotiation Works volunteer instructors Jane Ehrenfeld and Salma Shitia led weekly negotiations classes for Southeast Ministry’s students. From the start, the students eagerly participated in the discussions, games, and role plays as they learned about the power of using negotiation to solve all sorts of conflicts, ranging from security deposit returns to disagreements with roommates to loan repayments. Altogether, eleven students attended the classes, with five receiving certificates of completion (having attended 4 or more of the 6 classes).
The students were impressed with the course. When Pandora, 32, was asked whether she might in the future use the negotiation strategies she learned, she responded “Yes, [b]ecause before taking this class, I didn’t know how to talk my way through a lot of situations.” Kaneesha, 30, explained why learning negotiation was important to her: “Negotiation is everyday living. It's important to use these skills to help you plan things out in situations.”
Negotiation Works’ instructors were equally positive about the outcome of this course. Jane reported, “It has been an absolute joy to teach at Southeast Ministry. The students are so dedicated, thoughtful, reflective, engaged, and responsive to the class! They ask fantastic questions - like, how can you prepare for your emotions during a conversation? - and thoughtfully engage with each other and with the instructors around the issues and topics we're discussing...they certainly are mastering the concepts we've taught!”
We can’t wait to work with Southeast Ministry and their students again later this spring when we return to teach another course!