Following Alpha News’ recent reporting on controversial state-mandated trainings—including sessions on white supremacy and microaggressions—tips from state employees have continued to pour in.
The latest comes from an employee of the newly established Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), an offshoot of the Department of Human Services (DHS), who contacted Alpha News with concerns about a mandatory cultural competency training currently being rolled out to government workers.
The training is a three-part process designed to assess and improve the “intercultural fluency” of government employees.
The employee, who requested anonymity, allowed Alpha News to listen in on the first session of the series facilitated by the Dendros Group via an online Teams meeting.
So far in 2025, the state of Minnesota has paid $175,419 to the Dendros Group—with DHS accounting for $76,083 of that total, according to the state’s public spending database.
In 2024, the Dendros Group billed DHS just shy of $400,000 for services.
High-dollar contracts with diversity consultants
As for what the training entailed, a Dendros facilitator explained to the group of a couple hundred state employees how the three-step process would unfold: the online seminar would be followed by an evaluation known as the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)—a test that measures an individual’s level of intercultural understanding.
After completing the IDI, employees must select a “qualified administrator” to debrief them on their intercultural fluency test results.
Participants were then shown a screenshot of the Dendros Qualified Administrators and told they would select their administrator from that group.
The facilitator leading the online meeting identified himself as Anthony Galloway, an executive trainer with the Dendros Group. While listing his qualifications, Galloway cited being “a former classmate of Philando Castile” as part of his credentials.
Galloway’s online bio states, “Drawing from Critical Race Theory, mindful inquiry, and Africentric Learning Principles, Anthony believes in the power of discourse to change hearts and minds.”
Training emphasizes food and friendship
Much of Galloway’s training session centered around food traditions and their connection to cultural identity.
“You may have a cultural tradition that says when you finish everything on your plate, it’s a sign to the host that you’re grateful,” Galloway said during the session. “But for other folks, you leave a little bit on the plate because if you finish the whole plate, you may be communicating they didn’t serve you enough food.”
“There’s always a dish that carries deep important cultural meanings that we can share on a much deeper level beyond just tasting the food,” he continued. “We may want to know those deeper stories.”
Galloway shared about a Hmong cultural practice related to childbirth, noting that “a good gift” for a pregnant Hmong friend or co-worker might involve preparing or providing access to a “chicken dish” believed to promote spiritual healing and cleansing for the new mother, in order to “build a deeper, more effective relationship.”
“You are an acquaintance if I know your name, I know a little bit about you, and I’ve done some work with you. You don’t get into the friend zone unless you can walk into my house and make yourself a sandwich and everybody’s OK with it—that’s a different level,” he continued. “If we want to build effective relationships, we’ve gotta have some intercultural fluency.”
Galloway offered an example of intercultural fluency by recounting a visit to a Lutheran Church potluck, where he was shocked to learn that a seemingly pleasant conversation between two parishioners actually masked a long-standing feud over the proper topping for a dish: cheese versus crunchy.
“I did not have the cultural fluency to understand the language of that time,” he said, adding that the exchange revealed how frustrations are expressed differently depending on the setting.
Questions about the training’s relevance
As for the training session, the employee told Alpha News they were baffled by the focus on food and personal anecdotes, saying it felt out of touch with the day-to-day responsibilities of their job.
The training also represented a substantial expenditure in state labor costs, according to the employee, who told Alpha News there were 220 people on the call and estimated the average hourly wage to be around $50—making the two-hour session cost roughly $22,000 in wages in the employee’s estimation.
The second step in the training—the IDI test—is expected to be administered sometime in May.
Alpha News reached out to both DHS and DCYF with questions about the necessity and effectiveness of the training, how facilitators are selected, and whether the state believes the program is a productive use of employee time and taxpayer dollars.
A DHS representative said they were unfamiliar with the training in question, while a DCYF spokesperson said they would look into the inquiry and respond—but never followed up.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
