Global Education Fair connects cultures in Athens
The annual Global Education Fair in Athens united international and local students from multiple academic disciplines to co-create immersive cultural exhibits. Now in its third year, the initiative has expanded to neighboring school districts, amplifying its impact on global education and intercultural understanding beyond its original scope.
Henry Gorsuch, BSJ '26 | April 30, 2025
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Students, families and community members gathered at Athens Middle School on Wednesday, March 26, for the third annual Global Education Fair, an event designed to bridge cultures and foster understanding. Hosted by the Ohio Valley International Council (OVIC) and AAPI-LEAD, the fair offered a vibrant showcase of traditions, stories and activities from around the world.
"It's a lot of fun," said Dr. Catherine Cutcher, associate director of OHIO's Center for International Studies and an event organizer. "It's my favorite event that we do in the community. The students involved, from Patton College of Education and the International Cultural consultants, have been meeting almost weekly since January to create these interactive exhibits.â€
Cutcher noted the partnership between international and American students.
"I think it's a really great example of how international students can partner with American students on a project and see it through to create a community-engaged event," she said. "So that is one of the key stories I want people to take away from this, is that it's a collaborative effort of four different colleges, of students from the U.S. and from many different countries."
About 23 countries were represented, primarily from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Europe. The fair aims to connect OHIO’s international student body with the local Athens community.
"This is the first time we actually have the bridge to connect our international students in OHIO’s Campus and to the community," explained Dr. Yuqiu Yu, a founder of AAPI-LEAD and an event organizer. "So they will feel like they actually belong to the community. So we feel very great about this impact."
Dr. Yuchun Zhou, an associate professor in Educational Research and Evaluation and another key organizer, spoke about the event's origins and growth.
"So the first year when we prepared for the Global Education Fair was 2022," Dr. Zhou recalled. "At that time, we thought that we needed to bring our international students to the local community, and later, the K-12 students have the opportunity to get to know different people from different countries."
Visitors browse exhibits at the Global Education Fair, exploring interactive cultural displays.
Growth and global engagement
The first fair took place in 2023 across two locations: Athens High School and the Plains Intermediate School. Last year, the event consolidated into one fair at the high school, and this year marked the third iteration, held at Athens Middle School.
Attendance has grown each year, with organizers hearing positive feedback and requests for its continuation.
"Every year there are about 200 people involved, and they all come to participate in this event," Yu said. "And we heard people talking about it. So that's why I think we introduced world cultures to the community.â€
The fair featured interactive exhibits where attendees could try games, crafts and sample snacks from different cultures. Sara Abdelrahman, a second-year Ph.D. student in English rhetoric and composition from Egypt, participated for the second time.
"I love telling other people about my country, especially kids, because their mind is so raw and flexible to receive information from the people of that nation," Abdelrahman said. She said she enjoyed fielding questions and sharing facts, particularly about the Nile River. Snacks like baklava, Turkish delight (called malban in Egypt) and maamoul (cookies stuffed with date paste) were available at the Egypt table.
Omnya Abdelwahab and Mohamed Essam, filmmakers and graduate students at OHIO, also represented Egypt at the fair for their first time.
"Educating people about different cultures and countries is crucial for fostering understanding and dispelling misconceptions," Abdelwahab stated. "Many times, information found online can be inaccurate, so providing firsthand knowledge helps create a clearer and more authentic perspective of our country." Essam added that conversations about Egypt's transition from a monarchy to a republic in 1952 surprised many attendees.
The Pakistan stand offered traditional snacks alongside a tri-fold showcasing the country’s history and traditions.
Expanding reach and impact
The success of the Athens fair has led to requests from neighboring school districts.
"We received invitations from other schools, from Alexander, Nelsonville... they all asked to do it," Yu said. This year, fairs were also held in the Nelsonville-York district in early March and Alexander Local School District on April 23.
Zhou credited support from collaborations across multiple colleges including the Patton College, the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, the Scripps College of Communication, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Center for International Studies.
"I just want to express how much I appreciate everyone's efforts to make this happen for our local community," Zhou said.
Participants believe the fair encourages further learning.
"We believe the fair encourages people to seek more knowledge about Egypt and its culture," Abdelwahab said. "Many attendees expressed interest in learning more after our conversations, and some even mentioned that they would love to visit Egypt in the future."