Program participants, faculty and staff members gathered during International Education Week at the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) Alexandria Campus. The weeklong series of events took place during the week of November 17th-21st, and featured Community College Initiative (CCI) Program participants from the Alexandria and Annandale Campuses. CCI participants designed posters, created art displays, performed and featured handcrafted art from their countries.
Celebrating International Education Week
The countries represented were Bangladesh, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Indonesia, Kenya, and Turkey. Several program participants and faculty members complimented the CCI Program participants on their work, and were impressed by the presentations CCI participants made. With their presentations the program participants were able to bring a piece of their countries to the NOVA campus. Several faculty members commented on their interest in visiting the featured countries. The presentation showcased traditional clothing, food, cultural and religious practices, geography and regional dances. Community members and vendors from Alexandria were also a part of IEW.
One of the highlights of IEW were the program participants from Indonesia who came together to perform traditional dances from various regions of Indonesia. NOVA students and faculty members were impressed with the performance, and some joined in during the dance. Another highlight was a CCI participant from Pakistan who won a tweeting competition held by the Instructional Design division of the Alexandria Campus. Several students also participated in the Open Mic discussion regarding diversity, and several students volunteered during the event as well, working with the IEW team to coordinate the events and make sure that it was a success.