Ties Event Calendar

Find information about the exciting events we're hosting and the places we'll be attending or presenting at. Whether you're interested in our upcoming webinars, workshops, or heritage travel events, we've got you covered. You'll also discover details about conferences, expos, and other gatherings where you can meet our team and learn more about our work. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Upcoming events

  • A logo with a globe in the center, surrounded by the text 'TIES PROGRAM' at the top and 'EST. 1994' at the bottom. The background is purple and the design elements are white.

    Monthly Connect and Chat/Talk Times

    The First Tuesday of the Month

    Next one: November 3, 2026 7PM CST

    We’re excited to bring one of our signature trip offerings — Connect & Chat and Talk Time — into a monthly virtual space just for you.

    Ties Together is a space for adoptees and their loved ones to gather, reflect, and stay grounded in community. Whether you’ve traveled with Ties, are preparing for a future trip, or are simply seeking connection with others who “get it,” you are welcome here.

    Because the journey doesn’t end when the trip does — and you don’t have to walk it alone.

    Sign Up

  • Mapping Identity Shifts: A Dynamic Model from Adoptee Voices

    October 21, 2026
    3:15 - 4:15pm KST
    COEX: Room 307 (third floor, south)
    Presented by: Tanya Kaanta and Sarah Kurtzahn

    Note: you must be registered to attend IKAA

    This session shares findings from a phenomenological study on how adult intercountry Korean adoptees experience identity across the lifespan. Drawing from participant observation and 31 in-depth interviews, the research introduces a flexible identity model describing how adoptees move through four elements—Denial and Avoidance, Exploration, Negotiation, and Redefinition—in response to life events, new information, and shifting contexts. Rather than presenting identity as a linear journey or a problem to solve, the model highlights identity as dynamic, and shaped by emotion work, relationships, social structures, and personal agency. Situated within the context of current adoption research and literature, such as the adoptee consciousness model and microaggression theory, this session will translate the study’s findings into accessible language, grounding theory in lived experience. Participants will be invited to reflect on how the model resonates (or doesn’t) with their own experiences and to consider how it might offer language for understanding identity shifts over time. The session is designed for adoptees, family members, and professionals interested in a non-pathologizing framework for talking about adoptee identity.

    Add to Your IKAA Schedule