Have you considered the different ways that we learn about cultures or different groups of people? 
 
Some that come to mind are:
·         Reading to gain information
·         Inquiring about traditions
·         Learning about family practices
·         Participating in multicultural or educational trainings
·         Attending cultural events
·         Seeking information from different people at different times.
 
These and other approaches can help us work past assumptions that we hold about individuals or groups of people different from us.  It takes courage, persistence, honesty, and being open to stay on a course that will challenge our beliefs, assumptions and stereotypes. Appreciating one’s own culture is a necessary step to increasing self awareness about how our cultural lens effects how we view the world. I believe this is a necessary process before we can begin to be in a position to understand others.
 
Here are some reflective questions to start the journey:
·         What are some things you recall about growing up in your culture?
·         How do these experiences influence your thinking?
·         How does your thinking effect how you initiate relationships?
 
Opening up for learning encourages one to learn to collaborate within the framework of the different cultures amongst the people we come in contact on a daily basis. This collaboration can very well force us to consider and balance different pieces of information about people at the same time. 
As we continue with the local Great Start work, look around you and decide where you will start your journey. You will find that you do not need to go too far to begin to explore about other people or groups different from you.
 
Consider the following:
·         What cultural groups live in your area?
·         What do you know about how they came to your community?
·         What do you know about their traditions of raising children?
·         What do you know about their style of communication?
 
These and other questions can lead you to come up with some good conversation starters. You do not need to wait for multicultural trainings to learn about different groups. 

Anyone out there with some conversations starters that led to building a relationship with a person or group different from your culture?