Speaker proposal submissions now open for Intercultural Relations Conference

The Community Intercultural Relations Conference (CIRC) committee is now accepting proposals for the 16th annual conference on Friday, April 11, 2025. CIRC is introducing concurrent breakout sessions at the conference and inviting proposals for breakout session presentations and workshops.

CIRC is an annual event held on and sponsored by the shared campus of The Ohio State University at Newark and Central Ohio Technical College (COTC). The conference features speakers, workshops and networking opportunities, and aims to raise awareness of social and cultural similarities to build an inclusive community. Attendees include leaders in business, nonprofit, education and community, as well as faculty, staff, students and alumni from K-12 and higher education institutions throughout the region.

The theme for the 16th annual CIRC is “Connecting Cultures, Strengthening Communities.” Proposals will be reviewed based on their connection to the theme and CIRC’s learning objectives, which include reflecting on and defining cultural diversity; exploring how engaging cultural backgrounds and identities strengthen organizations and communities; and building effective communication strategies and partnerships in a culturally diverse community. Proposal topics include but are not limited to:

• Defining the elements of culture
• Cultural diversity in the workplace
• Coalition building
• Communication and engaging people across cultures
• Demographic data about the people and cultures in central Ohio
• Community resources and supports
• Defining “belonging”
• Highlighting experiences of people from various cultural backgrounds
• Cultural diversity in education
• Leadership in a culturally diverse society

All proposals are due Tuesday, Oct. 15. Submission forms, guidelines and additional information can be found at go.cotc.edu/interculturalrelations. For further questions, contact Kim Manno, director of advancement, at 740-366-9135 or manno.18@osu.edu.