GoingToMeet

The five conferences held to date (1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006) have played an important role in documenting and motivating progress in this field, and have drawn the interest of several types of audiences. Established experts in cultural competence practice and policy have strongly supported these meetings as an opportunity to share ideas with and lend moral support to each other. Newcomers to the field, especially health care providers, have come to learn more about culturally competent care and to gain practical information to take back to their organizations. And national health policy leaders have been invited to participate to share their points of view, and to be educated about the substance of and enthusiasm behind this movement.

The format of the conference is grounded in workshop sessions that maximize audience participation, complemented by plenary sessions on key national policy issues. This conference seeks to facilitate learning as an ongoing, dynamic and social process, and strives to offer engaging sessions in which diverse participants can form bonds, participate as learners and teachers, and feel integral to the learning process. We believe presenters should make content relevant and meaningful, and offer ways to process information through dialogue, reflection, and application.