Lorna Sundberg International Center

Annual Report 2011-2012

Annual Summary
Social and cultural programs / 52
Cooking programs / 37
Language programs / 8
Lodgings bed nights
Meeting and reception space reservations / 118
Student staff / 9
Volunteers / 58

The Lorna Sundberg International Center (IC), a division of U.Va.’s International Studies Office, supports the University’s global education initiatives by providing the University and local community a comfortable space for sharing cultures. Programs and services include social and cultural events, language and cooking programs, meeting and reception space and short-term lodgings. See appendix (page 3) for detailed lists of programs and services.

Social and Cultural Programs:

Participantsenjoy attending IC programs because they are interactive and offer them a chance to learn about different cultures, have fun, and meet new people from around the world. Many of this year’s programs, such as henna hand painting, Japanese tea ceremony and Trinidad and Tobago carnival presentation, were led by international students, scholars and family members who volunteered to share aspects of their culture with the University and local community. IC staff organizelocal outings, movie nights, potlucks and programs to experience aspects of U.S. culture like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the Super Bowl. On average, 200 people participated in IC programs each month (ranging from 109-350). Severalannual events -Mary Ellen Brown Family Picnic, New Year's Luncheon, and Spring Bluegrass Picnic - saw an increase in participation nearly doubling from the previous year.

Cooking Programs:

Cooking programs continue to draw people to the IC. Although we have offered cooking classes many times since we opened in the 70s, the 2008 kitchen renovation turned two small outdated kitchens into one large beautiful kitchen, making it possible to fit up to 20 participants in a cooking class. This year, of the 37 volunteer-led cooking programs, 14 had a U.S. theme and 23 featured international cuisine. Classes are hands-on and lively, with lots of peeling, chopping, and talking. Participants bond over shared food and experiences.

Language Programs:

Our partnership with the Center for American English Language and Culture (CAELC) continues, and to complement our English language offerings, this year we launched Language Jumpstart, a short-term foreign language program to teach participants everyday phrases, greetings, basic grammar and alphabet phonetics. In April, we collaborated withthe Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese to runa successful pilot - Language Jumpstart: Spanish.

Language Program / Semesters offered / Total Participants
Multiskills English Class / fall and spring / 28
Advanced Oral Communication Class / fall and spring / 6
Oral Expression Class / fall / 12
Pronunciation Class / fall / 5
English Conversation Group / fall, spring, and summer / 45
Culture and Customs in the U.S. Group / fall and spring / 24
Book Discussion Group / fall, spring, and summer / 45
Language Jumpstart: Spanish Pilot / spring / 11

Lorna Sundberg Scholarship:

José Argueta, international student from El Salvador, was awarded the 2012 scholarship for his academic achievement and commitment to volunteerism. History Distinguished Majors Program and Philosophy major,Argueta is the Head Director for the Madison House Migrant and Latino Aid program for 2012-2013. He received the award during the IC’s annual volunteer appreciation luncheon.

Short-term Lodgings

& Meeting and Reception Space:

Over the course of the year, the IC guest rooms housed 59 guestsfrom17 countries, and the public spaces were used by 40 different U.Va. organizationsas meeting and reception space. U.Va. groupsthat used the IC compliment the beauty and comfort of the building and grounds. Most house guests said that they liked sharing the public spaces as it gave them a chance to meet more new people.

Staff & Volunteers:

The people who made it all possible include: 2 full-time staff, a resident manager, 9 student staff, 3 language instructors, 13 language volunteers, 23 cooking volunteers, and 22 social and cultural program volunteers.

Appendix:

Social and cultural programs:

The Art of Henna, Fall Open House, Making Marzipan, Mary Ellen Brown Family Picnic, Slow Food Workshop, Carter Mountain Apple Picking, Ghost & Mysteries Tour, Pumpkin Carving, Ice Skating, Visit Hartland Institute, Albemarle Ciderworks & Walnut Creek Park, Japanese Tea Ceremony, Une Soiree A Paris, Thanksgiving Meal Match, Iceland Through Jon Golden’s Lens, Gingerbread House Making, Holiday Potluck, Holiday City Market Tour, New Year's Luncheon, Kulture Karaoke, Laughter Yoga, Super Bowl Party, Jamaican Cardio Crunk, Trinidad & Tobago Carnival Presentation, McCormick Observatory, American Songs Workshop, Bluegrass Picnic, Chemistry of Cooking, Mahjong, Evening In Dominican Republic, Master Printmakers Art Museum Tour, Laughter & Silence Retreat, International Games Nights, Saunders-Monticello Trail Hike, Olympics Opening Ceremony Potluck, Art Museum Tour: Cityscapes, Pilates, Tai Chi Workshop, and Pizza & Movie Nights

Cooking programs:

American Home Cooking, DumplinsBao, Mindful Eating, British Gluten-Free, Konkan, Plant Based Sushi, Czech, Taste of China, La CucinaItaliana, Caribbean Fusion, Cooking With Pumpkins, Asian Fusion, Christmas Eve in Poland, Easy Baking, Serbo-Croatian Fusion, Micro-nutrient Rich, Soul Food, Dumplings & Bao, Simple Cupcakes, Southern Cooking Gluten-Free, East Meets West, Indian-Chinese, Vietnamese Family Dinner, Breakfast Made Easy, La Cocina Mexicana, Authentic Taiwanese, Alternative Hummus, Cajun South Louisiana, Cooking In France, Nutritious Indian, Gluten-Free Tex-Mex, Polish-Spanish, Bangladeshi Dishes, Polish, French-Vietnamese Fusion, Taste of Madagascar, Cooking in South Bronx, South Indian Cuisine, Homemade Pizza from Scratch, Gluten-Free Brunch, and Korean Food for Special Occasions

ESL book group read:

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, Skipping Christmas by John Grisham, Dead March: A Civil War Mystery by Ann McMillan, and Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

Meeting and reception space use:

4th Year Trustees, ADAPT, Alternative Spring Break, Arab Student Organization, Ballroom Dance Club, Center for Appreciative Practice, Circle K International, CORE Seminars, Darden School of Business, Delta Gamma Sorority, Education Abroad, Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, German Department, Global Development Organization, Human Resources, International Hospitality Program, International Studies Office, Japanese Chorus, Jewish Studies Program, Kappa Rho Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Latino Medical Student Association, McIntire School of Commerce, Mindfulness Center, Muslim Students Association, Student Organization for Caribbean Awareness, Summer Session, Theological Horizons, United Sisters Sisterly Love Mentoring Program, University Programs Council, Woman's Club Book Group, Young Women Leaders Program, and Summer Language Institute – Arabic, French, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Russian, Hebrew, German, and Latin

House guests’ countries of origin:

France, Germany, Italy, S. Korea, Costa Rica, Japan, Brazil, China, the Netherlands, India, the U.K., Romania, S. Africa, Tanzania, Spain, Turkey, and Equator

Departments sponsoring house guests:

Sociology, Darden School of Business, Spanish/Italian/Portuguese, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Law School, Pediatrics, Microbiology, Neuropathology, Curry School of Education, Engineering, Pharmacology, Pediatrics, Medicine/Endocrinology/Metabolism, Psychology, Center for Global Health/Division of InfectiousDiseases, German, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Institute for Practical Ethics and Public Life and Center for Biomedical Ethics and Humanities, U21/American Studies, Teaching Resource Center, Radiation Oncology, Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, Neurology, Neuroscience, Economics, Mathematics, Physics, McIntire School of Commerce