Lexington has a lot to learn from people who come here from all over the world | Opinion

Each November, as International Education Week rolls around, I am reminded about how much my life has been shaped through opportunities I have had to engage with people from around the world while in other countries and at home. Those experiences have helped broaden my cultural perspective and interact more effectively with people from different backgrounds.

The purpose of International Education Week, which is coordinated jointly by the US Departments of Education and State, is to highlight international programs at universities designed to help students expand their cultural viewpoints and become more globally minded. Studying abroad and having international students as classmates helps those involved prepare for living and working in what has clearly become an interconnected world.

Although the purpose of IEW is to shine a spotlight on international study abroad and exchange programs at universities, this celebratory week provides a great opportunity for those of us who live in the communities where these universities are located explore how to connect with those from different countries and cultural backgrounds. Such explorations can complement and extend the work of university level international programs. In addition, reaching out to those who are culturally different from us can enrich our lives as it enhances the community in general. And there are many possibilities for doing so in Lexington given the international population here.

According to a report from GlobalLex, the international population in Lexington in 2023 exceeded 200 based on indicators showing that approximately 23% of those residing here at that time were foreign language speakers. The report also indicates that year 96 languages were represented by students enrolled in Fayette County Public English Language programs. If the data reported two years ago is close to the international population now, we should be able to become acquainted with people from other places who have stories to share about their culture.

One option is to volunteer at one of the internationally focused organizations such as GlobalLex, Kentucky Refugee Ministries, and the Community Response Coalition of Kentucky. If volunteering is not possible, we can try to become acquainted with someone from another culture who resides in our community. I have found that sharing cultural stories can serve as a good “ice breaker” for getting to know one another.

I learned a great deal about cultural stories from my father from Scotland emigrated from Scotland and grandmother came to the United States from Germany. Additionally, I had the pleasure of corresponding with a boy who lived in Syria when both of us were in elementary school. Our friendship was made possible because a close relative helped us connect when he was a Fulbright scholar in Damascus. Through our pen pal exchanges over several years, my pen pal and I shared stories about family traditions, values and happenings in “our worlds.” Through handwritten letters sent through the postal service, we learned about each other’s cultures which were vastly different in some ways, but remarkably similar in others.

Later in life, during my years as a university faculty member, I worked with teacher candidates who were placed in schools overseas as part of the university’s overseas student teaching program. Through that involvement, I saw teacher candidates broaden their cultural perspectives as well their teaching strategies. They did so by helping the students they taught in K-12 schools write about their own cultural traditions, and then sharing the stories they created with classmates. When crafting their stories, students interviewed relatives (e.g., parents, grandparents). In some classrooms, student teachers were able to arrange pen-pal relationships for their students with those in schools located in other countries. Sharing their cultural stories provided a way for participating students to consider the value of cultural uniqueness which helped expand their worldview.

This year’s International Education Week, which takes place from Nov. 17 – 21, provides an opportunity for all of us who live in Kentucky to engage those from different cultures in some meaningful way to foster cultural understanding and augment the efforts of University International Programs. I believe we have a lot to gain from doing so.

Sharon Brennen is a former professor and Director of Clinical Practices and School Partnerships in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky.