The sentence started on the front -- "The New Face of Poverty'' -- is completed on the back by the sobering conclusion that it "might be you.''

"There are countless children, adolescents and families who are economically struggling,'' said Dr. Jamie Carney, a professor in the Auburn University College of Education's Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, Counseling/School Psychology. " The events of the last few months (with the economy) have brought home the idea that this impacts more people.''

Those events have also trickled down to K-12 classrooms, where more and more children are coming from families who fall below the federal poverty line and are harboring their own anxieties regarding the future. Carney and the students she advises in Iota Delta Sigma, the Auburn chapter of international counseling honor society Chi Sigma Iota, wanted to do their part to ensure that the next wave of College of Education graduates would be equipped as teachers and counselors to assist children and families affected by poverty.

Their vision resulted in "Poverty Awareness Week,'' which will bring several guest speakers to campus from Monday, Nov. 10 to Thursday, Nov. 13 for four days of education, discussion and advocacy. This marks the debut of the event on campus.

"Educators and counselors are not traditionally trained to understand poverty and understand the implications of poverty for children and adolescents in an educational and mental health setting,'' said Carney, who coordinated the Poverty Awareness Week events along with counselor education graduate student Kathy Robinson. "It's critical that educators and counselors understand the social, psychological and educational impact of poverty and the challenges it presents. That also includes understanding the kind of stigma that exists in schools and communities about individuals who are dealing with economic issues.''

The week will begin with an open forum entitled "Understanding Poverty in Alabama,'' scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in room 2216 of the Student Center. State Sen. Ted Little will attend the session, which will also include Dr. Cindy Reed, director of Auburn University's Truman Pierce Institute, Kristina Scott from the Alabama Poverty Project, Linda Tilly of Voices for Alabama's Children and Shakita Jones and Melissa Oliver from Alabama Arise. The speakers will address poverty as it relates to public policy, the demographics and systemic causes of poverty, child poverty in Alabama and educational responses to poverty.

During Iota Delta Sigma's 7 p.m. meeting in Haley 1126, Becky Macintire, the College of Education's representative to Auburn's Committee of 19   hunger advocacy group, will discuss global awareness of and student involvement in poverty issues.

The educational activities will continue on Tuesday with a pair of movies in Haley 1126 - "To Render a Life'' at 11:30 a.m. and "Waging a Living'' at 4 p.m.

On Wednesday, representatives from the Homeless Resource Network will discuss working with those impacted by poverty during sessions scheduled for 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. in Student Center 2218.

Poverty Awareness Week will conclude on Thursday with "Preparing Educators and Counselors,'' an open forum scheduled for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Student Center 2216. Dr. Ivan Watts, associate professor and acting director of diversity, recruitment and retention for the College of Education, will discuss poverty's impact on children and adolescents. Shakita Jones of Alabama Arise will address education as a solution to poverty, while Stephen Stetson of Alabama Arise's speech will be entitled, "Dropouts and Alabama's Workforce: Policies and the Rhetoric of Poverty.'' Linda Tilly of Voices for Alabama's Children will speak on the topic of "Education and Poverty: Making the Connection.''

On the first and last days of Poverty Awareness Week, educational materials will be distributed and donations will be accepted on the Haley Center concourse from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Carney said the interest demonstrated by Iota Delta Sigma members in developing Poverty Awareness Week shows that College of Education students are committed to being prepared for the challenges of the workplace after graduation.

"We really thought it was critical that if we were going to advocate, the best way to advocate was, in essence, to have a ripple effect, to impact the pre-service teachers, the counselors in training, those individuals who will be in our communities and in our schools in the future,'' she said.