Culturs Global Multicultural Magazine sponsored a “hidden diversity” track to the 15th annual Diversity Symposium at Colorado State University.

Culturs.guru sponsors a Hidden Diversity track to the 15th annual Diversity Symposium at Colorado State University.

Featured speaker Ruth VanReken presented “Hidden Diversity and the New Global Order” onnoon on Thursday, Sept. 24, in Lory Student Center Room 386.

VanReken, co-founder of Families in Global Transition, will discuss Third Culture Kids, Cross Cultural Kids, and why it’s important that higher education understand their importance for future generations.

Third Culture Kids — TCKs — are people who have spent a significant part of their developmental years outside their parents’ culture. The Third Culture Kid builds relationships to all the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into his or her life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of the same background, other TCKs. Along with Cross Cultural Kids — those who cross cultures/races during their formative years — they have been called “prototype citizens of the future” by sociologist David Pollock.

VanReken, herself a second-generation TCK and mother of three adult TCKs, co-authored the most popular book on this subject: Third Culture Kids, Growing up Among Worlds. In addition to speaking on hidden diversity to groups in many countries, including a recent TED Talk in Paris, VanReken runs crossculturalkid.org

Other featured speakers at the 15^th annual Diversity Symposium Sept. 23-25 included Rinku Sen, founder of Race Forward, at 7 p.m. Thursday in the LSC Theatre, and Fauna Hodel at noon on Friday in the Cherokee Ballroom.

Complete lineup of Diversity Symposium.

• Client: Vice President for Diversity – Colorado State University