Cultural Competence Training: A Rewarding Journey for an Instructional Designer

Cultural competence is essential in today's increasingly diverse world. As an instructional designer, I had the opportunity to lead a project that aimed to create cultural competence training courses for the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB).

As the Director of Continuing Education, I wrote the curriculum from start to finish and developed a series of courses that covered topics such as bias, sexual identity, and racism/discrimination. The goal was to provide practical strategies and tools for massage therapists to enhance their cultural competence and improve their interactions with diverse clients.

The courses were available for purchase on our Learning Management System (LMS). However, after seeing the overwhelmingly positive feedback from users, we decided to offer the courses for free for a month. The feedback was amazing, and many users reported that the courses had changed the way they thought about and interacted with diverse clients.

It was an honor to share our work with regulators from across the country and to see the impact that our courses were having in the industry. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and many regulators expressed interest in using our courses to enhance their own cultural competence. It was an incredible feeling to see the impact of our work on a broader scale and to know that we were making a difference in the lives of massage therapists and their clients. One of the most rewarding experiences was being invited to present on the topic of bias and cultural competence at the Federation of Associations of Regulatory Boards (FARB) conference.

As an instructional designer, working on this project was a profound experience. It highlighted the importance of cultural competence and the need for more comprehensive training in this area. It also showed me the power of education to effect change and create a more inclusive society.

In conclusion, cultural competence training is essential in today's diverse world. My experience leading the project for the FSMTB highlighted the importance of this training and the impact that it can have on individuals and society as a whole. As instructional designers, we have the power to create courses that not only enhance knowledge but also promote positive social change.