This module is the first of 10 in the Essential Communication and Documentation Skills curriculum. It establishes the program objectives and sets the tone for the full week of training. The curriculum is designed to improve the competence of New York State Division for Youth direct care staff in the workplace areas of observation, reading, writing, listening, speaking, and decision making using contextualized workplace learning materials. The preface and introduction provide information on the curriculum's structure, how to use the curriculum, and how to implement the program. This module, an introduction and orientation to the training program, is divided into seven sections. The design cover sheet gives an overview of the module design: purpose, methods, performance objectives, and evaluation procedures. The preparation cover sheet lists the following: physical setting equipment and supplies required, media support, necessary participant materials and handouts, instructor's materials and preparation steps, options or variations in delivery and a 5-item list of references. The presentation overview describes the method, purpose, and estimated time of the following activities: introductions, ground rules, the effective learner, what I know about myself as a learner, summary, and pretraining assessment. The presentation guide for the trainer is a comprehensive and detailed guide for the delivery of the module activities. Flipchart masters are followed by supplemental notes and materials for the trainer. A participant materials section provides a packet of materials each participant should receive. (YLB)