Happy 17th Birthday, KAAN!
On this day in 1998, a group of Korean government leaders, Korean-American leaders, adoptee leaders, and adoptive parent leaders met in Sacramento for a leadership summit that led to the founding of KAAN. “We brought prominent invited leaders from across the United States to speak, and they spoke eloquently. Yet, as a grass roots organization, KAAN has always felt every voice in the adoption community has value. We allowed all adoption community members in attendance at the leadership conference to speak if they wanted to do so, because the network we were forming would belong to all of us connected to Korean adoption,” writes founder Chris Winston in her book, A Euro-American on a Korean Tour at a Thai Restaurant in China.
As we continue to grow and mature an as organization, this vision still guides us. Our 17th annual conference features a host of insightful speakers, some well-known and others not. As presenters, performers, and other participants mingle and interact in St. Louis this June, we expect the synergy to again create a powerful community, with corporate and individual benefits for all.
Want to help us celebrate KAAN’s birthday? Do one or more of the following today: — Sign up for KAAN 2015: Intersections, our June 26-28 conference in St Louis. Details at http://www.KAANet.org. — Participate in Kimberly McKee’s research study on KAAN, which will help us in future planning. Details at http://mckeekimberly.com/research/kaan_study/kaan-study-survey-email-announcement/. — Make a contribution to KAAN through the donate button on our website. We still need funds to offset the discounted rates we offer all participants. — Share this post through social media and invite your friends to participate. Make sure to add a personal note about why KAAN means so much to you.
Thanks to all of you who have participated in KAAN and contributed to our vibrant community over the years. We are who we are because of you. Stay involved and help us keep our offerings relevant and accessible through your support.