The Ohio Valley International Council

Aligning with the Ohio Department of Education’s recognized need to prepare students to participate in the interconnected global economy of the 21st century, the Athens City School District recently hosted Global Education Fairs at Athens High School and The Plains Intermediate School.

OVIC organized three Global Education Fairs in collaboration with our partners at the Athens City School District, the AAPI-LEAD Employee Affinity Organization, the Patton College of Education, the EDTE 2500: Issues in Global Education class, the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, the Stevens Literacy Center, and the International Student Union.

See Global Education Fair aims to increase awareness of diverse cultural groups in the community.

OVIC Cultural consultants presented several times in Madame Stephanie Stamper's 8th grade classes for World Languages and Cultures in 2023-24. They presented about French-speaking West Africa, the Tuareg cultures of the Sahara, Akan/Twi in Ghana, and Bahasa Indonesian in Indonesia.

 See International student outreach makes a world of difference in local schools.

OVIC Cultural consultants presented multiple times in Mr. Kirk Crow's high school social studies classes in 2022-24. 

They presented a Focus on Asia (India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand) and a Focus on Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal). They introduced languages such as Akan/Twi, Arabic, Wolof, Swahili, Hindi, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Thai.

See An Ohio University group brings the world to local classrooms.

Dr. Adom Manu, a Fulbright Scholar from Ghana, was a visiting professor in 2023-24 with the Global Health Initiative.

He presented about Traditional Herbal Medicine in Ghana to Mr. Jacob Carpenter's 7th grade science classes at Alexander Junior High School. He also presented to the 8th grade World Languages and Cultures classes and high school social studies classes. 

He attended the Veterans' Day Assembly at Alexander in November. In May, he visited Meigs County to learn about American herbal medicines at Equinox Botanicals, Appalachian Ohio Herb Clinic, and United Plant Savers' Botanical Sanctuary.

See Visiting Fulbright scholar-in-residence to focus on global health, population health and health equity.

The World Languages Program organized shadow puppet theater performances with the Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants.  They performed the Ramayana and Crocodile King stories with shadow puppets at Alden Library and Amesville Elementary School in the Federal Hocking Local School District.  At Amesville, 100 children in kindergarten through third grade attended these performances.

OVIC collaborated with the City of Athens’ first Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Coordinator, Lacey Rogers, on a number of programs in the schools.

We brought international students to speak to the Anti-Racism class at Athens High School. We organized a panel about race and racism around the world and a story circles workshop for small group discussions with high school students and international graduate students.

OVIC collaborated with Lacey Rogers to present to the Prism LGBTQ Youth Arts Program, an after-school program for 12-18 year old students.

We organized art workshops on Kente cloth weaving in Ghana, Lunar New Year celebrations in China (with hot pot, calligraphy, Chinese zodiac animals, and a tea ceremony), and Shadow Puppetry in Southeast Asia.

We collaborated with the Division of Diversity and Inclusion to lead workshops on Microaggressions and Racism in the Spanish classes at the Southern Local High School in Racine in Meigs County.

We initiated this outreach during International Education Week in November 2023 and conducted a follow up workshop in April 2024.

The World Languages Program collaborated with language instructors and students across the university to host a potluck with snacks from around the world. 

They organized interactive board games and shared ghost stories from around the world, in anticipation of Halloween.

Ohio University hosts events for International Education Week each November. OVIC contributed by leading workshops on international education and anti-racism in the Spanish classes at Southern High School in Meigs County.

See International Education Week.

Each April, the International Student Union hosts the International Street Fair in Athens. This is a family friendly event featuring a flag parade, kids' arts and crafts activities, food, musical performances, and more.

CIS and OVIC hosted an interactive map activity asking passersby to locate their or their families' place of origin on the map of the world, demonstrating the international diversity of Athens. This activity always sparks great conversations about identity, family, home, and a sense of place.