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11/07/19

Gadsden State to celebrate International Education Week

Gadsden, Ala.—Gadsden State Community College will celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide during International Education Week Nov. 18-22. It is the 20th anniversary of the celebration. All events are free and open to the public.

“The week builds support for cultural exchanges around the world,” said Becky Duckett, director of International Programs and the Alabama Language Institute. “IEW events are hosted to encourage all individuals interested in international exchange to learn more about the opportunities available. IEW also brings recognition to our international students at Gadsden State as well as showcase the value of internationalization.”

The celebration will begin with Gadsden State students creating sidewalk art throughout the Wallace Drive Campus on Nov. 18. Sidewalk chalk is available in the International Programs Office located in Room 108 in Naylor Hall. In addition, submissions for the IEW Poster Contest are due by 5 p.m. on Nov. 18.

A panel of international students studying at Gadsden State will discuss education in their home countries at 10 a.m. Nov. 19 in Browder Auditorium. They will answer questions about their educational experiences and provide insight into educational differences around the world. There is no charge to attend the student panel discussion.

Also on Nov. 19, Gadsden State will host a viewing of “The Wedding Party” at 6:30 p.m. at the Beck Conference Center. “The Wedding Party” is a 2016 Nigerian romantic comedy drama.

On Nov. 20, the International Tea will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. in the breezeway of Inzer Student Center. It is free and open to the public. Hot beverages, finger foods and desserts can be enjoyed while learning common phrases in a variety of foreign languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Gujarati, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tunisian, French, German, Vietnamese and more. The winner of the poster contest will be announced at 4 p.m.

Gadsden State’s International Education Week events will end with the Passport Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 21 in the breezeway of the Inzer Student Center. The fair is open to the public and is for those wanting to renew a passport or apply for a new passport.

Required documents for the Passport Fair include a U.S. driver’s license, an original birth certificate, social security number and naturalization papers (if applicable). Those wanting to renew their passport should bring the expired passport.

Passports will cost $110. Checks or money orders should be made payable to the U.S. Department of State. The processing fee only is $35. To include onsite photos with the processing fee, the cost is $50. Checks for processing should be made to the U.S. Postal Service.

To sign up for a 15-minute appointment at the Passport Fair, call Faith Dobbs in the International Programs Office at 256-549-8446.

In addition to the daily IEW events, international student videos and testimonials can be found on Gadsden State’s social media pages on Nov. 15, 18, 19 and 20.

For more information on IEW, contact Duckett at bduckett@gadsdenstate.edu or 256-549-8324. Visit the International Education Week website at http://iew.state.gov/ for more details about national events being held during the week.

International Education Week