This year marks the 22^nd Cambio de Colores-Change of Colors Conference, the multistate conference hosted by the Cambio Center at the University of Missouri. Focused on change and integration in new destinations, we have become known as a truly unique space where scholars, service providers, and community leaders come together to share research and promising practices around Latine/Latinx, Hispanic, and newcomer communities.   

As usual, we welcome proposals for posters, presentations, organized panels, and workshops on promising practices and/or research. Continuing our tradition of promoting interdisciplinary conversations across research, practice, and advocacy, we invite service providers, grassroots organizations, educators, artists, academic researchers, students, and extension specialists to submit proposals (500-word limit) by the extended deadline January 29, at 11:59 p.m.

The submission system is open (click here to submit!). Approved proposals will be presented at the conference on June 5-7, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. All presenters will be responsible for their own travel expenses and conference registration fees. At least one author per presentation must register by April 8, 2024 to guarantee their participation in the program. Presenters will have the option to submit a paper for publication in the 2024 Cambio de Colores Proceedings.

Please scroll through this page for more information on the following:

• This year’s theme
• Important dates
• Proposal content/expectations
• Description of each conference track
• Description of each submission type (poster, promising practices or research presentation, etc.)

Sparking Change, Integration, and Deep Connections

As we write this year’s theme in the fall of 2023, our original mission rings truer than ever: across the globe, communities are changing and we – people and organizations – need support to better understand each other, integrate, and deeply connect. New wars, ever-present conflicts, increased natural disasters, and individuals searching for new opportunities continue to result in a cambio de colores. This year, we encourage proposals that help us address: What have we meant by “cambio de colores” over the years, and what else can we do now to spark change, integration, and deep connections?

Cambio de Colores has always offered a truly unique space where scholars, service providers, and community leaders come together to share research and promising practices. But this year, we (conference organizers and presenters) aim to spark integration and deeper connections starting within ourselves. We are excited to announce we will have a series of presentations and workshops held in Spanish, with, by, and for immigrant, migrant, refugee, and asylum seekers. (We’re also offering a proposal submission option en español!) In addition, we will have an afternoon of workshops designed with, by, and for educators, to share how they are sparking changes in biliteracy development, family engagement, and welcoming newcomers. 

Moreover, when we talk about sparking integration and deep connections, we recognize communities are changing in really diverse ways, and individuals with different identities face unique issues with staying connected or creating new connections as they move to a new place. We encourage presenters to look into this diversity carefully, moving beyond broad categories that define a community (e.g., “Hispanics” or “newcomers”) and instead including people’s actual home countries, multiple languages, and different identities. For instance, we encourage proposals that consider the experiences of Afro-Latine, Indigenous, and refugee populations, as well as how connections are made not only between the United States and other places across the globe, but also within those spaces, from Latin America to Eastern Europe to Southeast Asia.

We offer this year’s theme to renew our call to action and commitment to work alongside traditional and non-traditional leaders and experts from our changing communities. Please consider how your work fits into this theme, as well as our conference tracks, and please invite your community to join these special opportunities!

Detailed Submission Information

This conference focuses on the dialogue between research, promising practices, and advocacy, where the three inform and depend on each other to help create positive outcomes in communities. To enable these fruitful dialogues, researchers are expected to connect with others by fostering discussions on the meaning and applications of their research and findings. Practitioners, artists, and advocates likewise are asked to highlight the research needs and/or outcomes of their work. Sessions are constructed to have space for dialogue, and presenters are encouraged to foster interdisciplinary discussion. Despite choosing a track, all presentations are expected to address change and integration in some way and can consider this year’s theme for inspiration.

IMPORTANT DATES 

• January 21, 2024 – submission deadline (Extended deadline January 29)
• March 5, 2024 – notification of acceptance 
• April 8, 2024 – at least one author must register to confirm participation and be on the program
• June 5-7, 2024 – the conference!  
• August 1, 2024 – if desired, authors can submit a paper for the Conference Proceedings 

PROPOSAL CONTENT

• Contact Information: name, title, organization, address, phone, and email for each presenter
• Biography: 100-word biography for each presenter
• Proposal Information: 
  • Which track? 
  • Scope of submission (local, regional, national, global)? 
  • Which submission type (poster, research paper, promising practices, etc.)? 
  • Intent to submit short paper for Conference Proceedings? 
• Title: 15-word limit 
• Abstract: 100-150 word abstract  
• Proposal: 500-word description of your proposal (see requirements on the following pages)

DESCRIPTIONS FOR EACH CONFERENCE TRACK

Civil Rights and Political Participation: Policies and political decisions shape individuals’ civil rights and political participation in changing communities. This track welcomes proposals on topics that touch upon both the impact and the agency of civil rights, for example: (1) the diversity of political engagement across Latine, Hispanic, and newcomer populations, including their work within the growing movements for racial and economic justice in the U.S.; (2) how discrimination or threats to one’s identity impacts engagement and/or representation in our democracy and public institutions; (3) recent legal changes or training programs that shape the political agency or civil rights of immigrants. 

The goal of this track is to raise awareness and share initiatives about legal rights, civil rights, and political engagement that affect individuals’ livelihoods and integration. 

Education and Youth Development: Latine, Hispanic, and newcomer youth are resilient, activating their own cultural resources and assets as they grow and learn in both school and out-of-school contexts. This track welcomes proposals on: (1) programs and policies for Latine/Hispanic or newcomer youths in changing communities, including newcomer schools, language and bilingual programs, or specialized community and extension projects; (2) factors that shape youth experiences as they grow and learn (P-20), including cultural values, family expectations, transnational movement, or local institutions; (3) challenges and contributions of various stakeholders involved in youth education and development. 

The goal of this track is to bring together 4-H, extension specialists, researchers, and educators to work collaboratively on enhancing educational equity, opportunities, and youth development. 

Community and Economic Development: Latines, Hispanics, and newcomers make important impacts across communities and economies through their entrepreneurialism, business development, and risk-taking mindsets. Their work builds bridges, promotes dialogue, and creates opportunities that benefit changing communities. This track welcomes proposals that explore: (1) Latines’, Hispanics’ or newcomers’ cultural and social capital assets that promote community or economic development; (2) the conditions or values that hinder and/or promote their involvement and success in community and economic development activities; (3) current economic trends across regions and/or Latine/newcomer populations. 

The goal of this track is to inform public policy, enhance service delivery, and support strong economic and community development.  

Health: Being healthy is complex and challenging, perhaps especially in changing communities. Health is shaped by differences in transnational movement, economic circumstances, education, behavioral choices, living conditions, and the physical environment. This track encourages submissions that explore the following topics: community-based health care programs; cultural gaps and bridging in health; consequences of acculturation and health behavior modification; influence of race, ethnicity, or cultural competence on doctor-patient relationships; traditional or indigenous health practices; health literacy; domestic and sexual violence; mental health; or policies that support or inhibit healthy behaviors.  

The goal of this track is to translate research into practice, in order to develop more healthy Latine, Hispanic, and newcomer communities.

DESCRIPTIONS FOR EACH SUBMISSION TYPE

Presenters will choose one of the following submission types:

• Poster (on display throughout the conference and interactive poster session) 
• Research paper presentation (15 minutes)  
• Promising practices presentation (15 minutes)  
• Organized panel (submission includes 3-4 presentations sharing 75 minutes)  
• Workshop – an interactive or training session (75 minutes)  

Poster proposals for research must summarize your (1) research objectives, (2) context, (3) methods, including research questions and data sources, (4) results, and (5) implications, including any particular significance for this year’s theme. Poster proposals on promising practices must summarize your (1) objectives; (2) context/organization, (3) promising practices/activities, (4) main audience of your practice, and (5) implications, including any particular significance of your work for this year’s theme.  

Posters will be set up on the first day of the conference. Easels and boards will be provided, and presenters should bring their own tape, pins, paper, or other materials. Poster size should not exceed 4’x4’.  Students choosing to participate in the student poster competition should follow the submission requirements and indicate their participation on the relevant question during the submission process.   

Research paper proposals should summarize your (1) research objectives, (2) context, (3) methods, including research questions and data sources, (4) results, and (5) implications, including any particular significance for this year’s theme.   

Promising practice proposals should summarize your (1) objectives; (2) context/organization, (3) promising practices/activities, (4) main audience of your practice, and (5) implications, including any particular significance of your work for this year’s theme. 

Organized panel proposals should summarize the (1) objectives of your session, (2) how many papers and how they fit together, as well as each paper’s (3) methods or practices, including research questions and data sources if applicable, (4) results, and (5) implications, including any particular significance for this year’s theme. Please include no more than 4 papers/presentations for an organized panel submission. 

Workshop proposals should summarize your (1) workshop objectives; (2) intended audience, (3) expertise/context of workshop providers, (4) promising practices/activities you will introduce, and (5) implications, including any particular significance of your work for this year’s theme.