World Culture Festival
As a freshman at Penn State I was enrolled in a course called Leadership JumpStart, offered through the Schreyer Honors College. Throughout the program, groups were formed to complete original service projects with the goal of bettering Penn State and the surrounding community.
The group with which I was affiliated chose to plan and carry out a Culture Festival, which we named the World Culture Festival, in the hopes of engaging both international and local citizens of our community in learning about global, and local, cultures through music, informational exhibits, food, and dance. We looked to promote multicultural and international clubs and student organizations found within the University, and worked to bridge the gap between international and national students as well as the surrounding community. We also looked to broaden the global perspective of The Pennsylvania State University college community, and to promote diversity through the tasteful acknowledgement and advertisement of various cultures.We hoped that through the relaxed atmosphere of the Cultural fair, international and national students and community members will be able to meet those with other ethnic and cultural backgrounds and forge meaningful relationships, while enjoying cultural performances and expanding their knowledge of the world outside their home country, and hopefully inspire them to do the same for others. |
LocationHetzel Union Building
State College, PA 16802 Our service project culminated in the World Culture Festival, which was held on November 16, 2014 in Alumni Hall from 5:00-9:00 pm. Throughout the festival we worked to promote global and local cultures, through the facilitation of the use of mediums such as art, music, dance, food, and informational exhibits, while working towards involving international students and the local community. And in doing so promoted education through interaction. The World Culture Festival consisted of seven cultural clubs which set up poster and informational exhibitions and eleven cultural performance clubs who chose to participate and demonstrate their dance, music, or song routine to the audience. We also had food catered to the attendees from a local cultural restaurant. Overall, the project was a huge success, and being able to touch and interest that many people through our work was extremely satisfying. Spreading cultural awareness is extremely important, especially within our increasingly globalized world and I am grateful to have been a part of such a dedicated group of individuals looking to do just that. |