As the diverse population of the United States increasingly grows, it is important in our communities and public schools to develop cultural competence to overcome language and cultural barriers.  This course is based on knowledge of behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes of a multicultural approach to learning.  It also includes cultural awareness activities for promoting school staff understanding of other cultures and in comparison to American culture and strategies for working with English Language Learners. Participants will examine socio-linguistic aspects of U.S. and world cultures, sources of cross-cultural conflict, and approaches to cross-cultural conflict resolution as they relate to K-12 settings, their communities, and the communities in which they teach.