Dr. Ruby Payne
As a former high school teacher and principal, Dr. Ruby Payne understands the unique challenges facing schools and communities around the country. She shifted public conversation to consider the role poverty plays in many facets of American life and decided to teach others what she learned. Since founding aha! Process in 1996, Ruby has educated more than 100,000 professionals on economic class mindsets. She identifies problems, develops practical resources, and equips anyone and everyone who is ready to listen.
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“After I attended an aha! Process workshop in Denver in September, I brought my teacher leadership team to Houston for the Under-Resourced Learners Summit. We found many of the strategies we learned there to be so helpful that we have expanded their use beyond just students who are struggling. We now even use the student resource questions as part of our new-student registration materials, and then we match student needs with the resources that the teachers/advisors can support and deliver.”
“Sometimes you don’t realize that you’re stuck because it has become a way of life…it’s normal! I was afraid to step outside the box, to become unstuck. There were untapped resources within the community that I hadn’t realized before. The Getting Ahead course helped me to realize that I wasn’t stuck and that there was hope for me.”
“Investigations is a valuable tool and the ‘missing piece of the puzzle’ for postsecondary academia. Students will not only assess their lives outside the walls of the classroom, but they will now be able to see how life outside the classroom impacts life inside the classroom. They’ll learn to make plans for themselves using resources available within the college and the community.”
Our Blog
Looking forward to a future where every young professional has the resources they need to thrive
The following is from Lora Fish, principal consultant with Applegate Talent Strategies in Columbus, Ohio. Since becoming a Workplace Stability certifie [...]
Marion Matters in Ohio provides Getting Ahead classes to people who are part of the ‘working poor’
The following is from Natalie Longmeier, executive director of Marion Matters in Marion, Ohio. Marion Matters, an agency for which I serve as director [...]
Getting Ahead addresses not just poverty, but mental health as well
The following is a lightly edited transcript of a speech that Jim Ott gave at the 2024 Emerge Solutions conference: “Together We Thrive.” Ott is a sc [...]