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The Cambio Center’s 25th annual Cambio de Colores Conference, held from June 3rd to the 5th this year in Columbia, Missouri, centered on the theme “En Comunidad, We Rise: In CoMO, We Lift Each Other Up!” The idea behind the event was to highlight the power of unity, mutual support, and community to bring about meaningful change. Over the course of the three days, nearly 100 registrants — which included any interested students, academics, practitioners, and community members — came together to listen to more than 75 presenters speak on topics ranging from civil rights and political participation, to education and youth development, to community and economic development. The conference featured four keynote sessions and 38 presentations, panels, and workshops — five of which were conducted entirely in Spanish. There were also seven poster presentations showcasing promising research.
The conference was made possible thanks to contributions from more than 20 organizational partners and 39 organizers and volunteers, including Cambio staff, event planners, and advisory board members. Participants in the conference also had the opportunity to connect with three local organizations in Columbia, Missouri through community site visits: (1) City of Refuge, a non-profit helping immigrant families to rebuild and integrate; (2) CoMo Cooks Shared Kitchen, which provides affordable kitchen space for local food-based businesses; and (3) The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri. Through these experiences, the conference addressed the importance of supporting local communities and building connection and collaboration. However, this intention went further than words alone, and over the three days, attendees donated 60 pounds of food and $80 through cash and Venmo contributions, which provided an estimated 290 meals for Mid-Missourians experiencing food insecurity.
Overall, attendees of 2026’s Cambio de Colores conference expressed their appreciation especially for the event’s welcoming atmosphere, organization, engaging presentations, live Mariachi performances, and array of traditional food. Although the event had slightly fewer participants than the previous year, 2026’s conference reached a broader Mizzou community. Attendees reflected on their meaningful conference experiences that fostered connection, learning, and collaboration, as well as opening up the floor for discussion on the topics of (im)migration, integration, and welcoming.
See here for a snapshot of results from this year’s conference!
This Year’s Theme
In 2026, the theme for Cambio de Colores took inspiration from the hosting city, Columbia, Missouri, affectionately known as CoMO. Meeting at the State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO), we built from the city’s passion to create something bigger than expected, recognizing that como, or how, we do this matters: in community. This year, we emphasized that our strength to truly integrate lies in our unity. Our theme, En Comunidad, We Rise helped us to reflect on how we lift each other up in challenging times, how we respond through mutual support and care, and how we build on one another’s power, to create an unstoppable, integrated community that thrives.
Article written by Lauryn Yarnevich, Research Student Fellow, Cambio Center
Published September 30, 2026
