#Latism12: Never Underestimate the Power of One

#Latism12 Houston, TX

DISCLOSURE: My lodging for #Latism12 was sponsored. Opinions are 100% my own.

I am filled with gratitude coming out of the #Latism12 conference held in Houston, TX, last week.

Gratitude for my supportive blogueras-hermanas who made me laugh so hard, I cried ...
Gratitude for the panels, workshops and how-tos showing me that anything is possible...
Gratitude for speakers such as Maria Celeste Arraras, Nely Galan and Sandra Cisneros ...
Gratitude for The Adelante Movement that planted the seed of an idea in my mind ...

But most of all, I'm grateful to the sponsors who made #Latism12 possible.

The Adelante Movement's Prayer Alter y Mis Amigas :-)

#Latism12 delivered four themed tracks: Education, Health, Business and Technology, along with three separate Hands-On sessions for Newbies, Adelantados and Hands-on Gurus.

In the Evolution of Education: New Channels, Opportunities and Challenges, I learned that the top three blogging topics for Hispanics are Latino issues, social good and education; that when choosing a sponsor, to not only choose one that "writes a check," but that, also, gets involved with the execution of programs; and the enormous opportunity to transform education with technology.

In the Getting Published Hands-on Gurus, I learned a 3-Step Storytelling Process from published author and Univision radio host Alberto Sardiñas: Reconciliation, Capitalization and Action; that writers need to make peace with their story and find the lesson to help others; to take a risk, knowing there's a huge chance for failure; and that we must have a "jump-in" mentality, regardless of whether or not we know how to swim.

In The Adelante Movement, Nely Galan taught me that "when you're coming from your heart, things work"; Sandra Cisneros urged us to seek out the writers who will transform us; that "the most important thing is to speak the truth"; and that we should hurry to become good human beings.

In Preserving Latino Culture for Future Generations, I learned that the American Latino Heritage Fund is developing educational resources that are "inclusive" of the achievements and contributions made by Latinos; that Latino history is American history; and of the importance of knowing our history.

Then there were the programs! Here are two developed by sponsors that give back to the community:

Johnson & Johnson: Global Motherhood

Johnson & Johnson Global Motherhood -- Changing the world one mother at a time.
"What inspires you?"

Global Motherhood is a program jointly developed by Johnson & Johnson and The Huffington Post to improve and promote the health of both mothers and children around the world through its various programs, such as:

• Mothers2Mothers that's focused on reducing the number of mother-to-child HIV transmissions through a mentorship program;
• SOS Children's Villages addresses the needs of orphaned and abandoned children in 800 villages and 123 countries around the world by providing them with preventative services and a loving home;
• The UCLA/Johnson & Johnson Health Care Institute increases health literacy, reducing the number of emergency room visits.

Here's a short video that talks a little about the Johnson & Johnson and Huffington post partnership ...

Toyota: Litera-Seeds Mini-Grants

Literacy was a recurring theme throughout the conference.

The Litera-Seeds Mini-Grants for 2012 was developed by The National Literacy Foundation and Toyota to award $500 grants to 10-20 K-12 educators who develop innovative programs that promote literacy while engaging families in learning.

And here are some favorite retweets from #Latism12:

These are just a few of the highlights from #Latism12. I miss it already and wish I could do it all over again. Thank you to all the #Latism12 organizers, hosts and sponsors.

So the countdown begins for #Latism13 in NYC. Is it here, yet?