Route J-1

By Lynette Evans-Tiernan, Communications Manager for the J-Visa Exchange Visitor Program

Loyola Marymount University students indicate where they are from and where they have studied around the world

November 13-17 was International Education week. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of an effort to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences.

See how some of our sponsors celebrated the occasion:

Loyola Marymount University’s Filipino and Chinese clubs perform a traditional folk dance Tinikling (left) and Chinese lion dance (right)

Loyola Marymount University’s Office for International Students and Scholars hosted Global Citizen Day as part of their month-long WorldFest series. This event featured a fair with tables sponsored by the Study Abroad Office, International Relations major, faculty, student clubs, and other campus groups highlighting all the opportunities LMU offers to engage with the world. Students used special passports to visit the tables, later exchanging them for food from around the world. While students engaged in conversation at the global fair, the Filipino and Chinese culture clubs performed the traditional folk dance Tinikling and a Chinese lion dance.

Winning photo submissions from St. Mary College’s photo contest. Photos submitted by Sophia Almada (left) and Adrian De Haro (right)

Saint Mary’s College of California hosted an international travel photo contest. In the weeks leading up to International Education Week, faculty, staff and students were asked to submit a photo of their choosing from their travels. Photos were posted on the website and the Saint Mary’s community (all faculty, staff and students) voted for their favorite photo. This year two photos tied for first place. The winners received gift cards as the first place prize.

Left: Parade of Nations | Right: Students learn how to do calligraphy at Raging Asians cultural event

The Global Engagement Office at the University of Colorado Springs organized a Parade of Nations on campus, in which international students wore traditional clothes and/or carried their home countries’ flags.

Additionally, the Asian Pacific Islander Student Union hosted its annual Raging Asians cultural event to showcase different Asian countries with their diverse cultural backgrounds. Quizzes and special food, drinks, candies and snacks helped students understand a set of diverse cultural identities of Asia including Japan, China, Guam, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Fiji.

J-1 Trainee Dino Dzebic talks to middle school students about Bosnia and Herzegovina

American Hospitality Academy brought a group of J-1s to Marco Island Charter Middle School to present about their home cultures and customs. J-1’s worked together to create a fun and interactive program to tell these students about their country and culture and then to answer questions that came from the group which included “What do you like the most about your home country?,” “How do you say _____ in your language?” and “What is the biggest difference you notice about the way we do things and how you do things in your country?”  Each day J-1s presented to six different classes that included about 25 students each time totaling 150 middle schoolers.

Students share dishes from their home country with the local community

Education, Travel and Culture hosted an International Night with J-1s in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The community was invited to join students for a fun-filled evening of food, facts and festivities. Dishes from all over the world were served including food from China, Thailand, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Brazil. Students gave presentations about their home countries to a group of 175 people.

2017 International Educational Week Banner

“I hope that students recognize the importance of a global perspective and how much there is to explore around our world,” reflected Robert Eyler, Dean of the School of Extended and International Education at Sonoma University and J-1 Sponsor. “It’s great when one becomes more global and sees that you can live abroad and have amazing experiences.”

International Education Week allowed students to start their own unique journey. Whether they wanted to study abroad, work, intern or volunteer, it was a chance for them to learn about their options.

Categories: Program Spotlight