Connections: Healthy Relationships with Family, Friends, and Partners is sponsored by Independence Northwest.
This class is about relationships and sexual health and will help you reach out and build stronger connections with the people you care about. The Connections class will give you tools and skills to be safe and happy in your relationships!
This class is for brokerage customers who want to strengthen their positive relationships with the people they interact with everyday. It’s also a great way to learn how to expand your circle of friends and think about dating and potentially developing intimate relationships.
At this time, this program is available to Independence Northwest, UCP Connections, UCP Mentors, and Community Pathways customers. Space is limited and we keep our classes small because that’s how they work best. (Minimum enrollment is 8 students, maximum is 15.)
Topics we’ll cover include:
Communication
Friendship
Dating
Becoming a Couple
Healthy Relationships
Understanding our Bodies
Sexual Health
Self-advocacy
and more!
This class helped me understand healthy relationships and become a stronger advocate.
Corinne Thomas-Kersting
Hello! I am Corinne Thomas-Kersting. I am looking forward to meeting you and teaching this Connections class with Alice. I am a speech-language pathologist and retired school administrator with Portland’s Community Transition Program for young adults. My career has focused on advocating for educational equity and supporting people becoming successful communicators. Since my retirement, I have been honored to serve as a Board Member of Independence Northwest and have taught communication workshops to Personal Support Workers. One of my favorite sayings is “Communication is the essence of human life.” It is also the essence of every human relationship. See you soon and we will start learning together!
Alice McKenzie
Hi! I am Alice McKenzie and am thrilled to be joining you on this journey to learn more about healthy connections and relationships. My background is in public policy and social justice. I have worked on programs with diverse teams of people across all sectors. I believe that understanding your own body and self is essential for every person to experience safe, healthy, and authentic sexual expression. My classes will focus on understanding your own body, reproductive health, and sexual health.
Fall 2024 Class Schedule
We are pleased to offer our Connections Class in-person at the Independence Northwest office at 919 NE 19th Avenue #275 in Portland. The class will be taught over four Saturdays in October.
Saturday October 5th 1pm – 4pm
Saturday October 12th 1pm – 4pm
Saturday October 19th 1pm – 4pm
Saturday October 26th 1pm – 4pm
Please note that attendance at every class is important because what you learn in each class builds on the one before.
Deadline to apply is September 10th at 5pm!
Learn More About Connections
Interested and want to learn more? You and family/support members are invited to attend one of these live presentations from the convenience of your home, on Zoom:
Saturday, August 24th 2:00 – 3pm
or
Wednesday August 28th 6:30 – 7:30pm
Attendance at one of these events is optional, and will be an opportunity to meet the instructor, learn more about what we will talk about in the class, and ask any questions you might have.
If you would like to attend, RSVP to Connectionspeople@gmail.com with the date that works for you. A zoom link will be sent to you a few days before the class.