The 2023 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages was held in Columbus, Ohio on March 9-11. This year's theme, Empathy, Equity, and Empowerment is reflective of the vital work educators do in classrooms every day across the country. The Wikipedia definition of empathy is "the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position." The most basic job as language educators is to develop that empathy in and through students using language and intercultural understanding. These are not just vital to understanding other countries, but vital to understanding neighbors, colleagues, families, and the students that walk the hallways and fill the classrooms. The 2023 conference offered over 10 workshops and more than 150 sessions focused on inclusivity, equity, social justice, classroom activities, teaching strategies, curriculum development, assessment, intercultural competence, advocacy, and technology. [For the 2022 report, see ED623038.]