INTRODUCING MIDWOOD INTERNATIONAL & CULTURAL CENTER, INTERNATIONAL HOUSE’S FUTURE HOME!


We are delighted to announce that after a year and a half of hard work, International House will be moving in mid-December to the former Midwood High School at 1817 Central Avenue. We regret that we must say good-bye to the Staten House, our home of 27 years on Hawthorne Lane ( thanks to the generosity of our landlord and benefactor, St. John’s Baptist Church). But as one chapter ends, another exciting story is about to unfold.

International House has seized this unique opportunity to create a brand new cultural and community center. We will transform an empty school into the Midwood International & Cultural Center (MICC), a vibrant hub of intercultural activity. Midwood is an incredible facility that will offer much better office and classroom space for International House’s clients, staff, and volunteers. But, this building is too big and costly for us to operate alone. Therefore, we have created a coalition of like-minded partners to share it with us. With several tenant groups, MICC can provide affordable space for nonprofits and international and cultural organizations and flourish as a re-invented community center. Many of these tenant groups serve similar constituent groups, so there are exciting possibilities for shared programming and partnerships. Tenants also can share conference rooms and a staff lounge, and use the large auditorium for cultural performances, festivals, or banquets. Finally, MICC is ideally located in the Plaza Midwood area of Central Avenue, one of the most international corridors of Charlotte.

How did we get here?    Read the entire article >>

Help International House make our new “house” a home as we transform an old school into a community center for international and cultural organizations!  Make your gift today to our capital campaign and help us reach our goal!

Make a Donation >>

Want to learn more?  Check out video and pictures of our future home!

Watch Video >>
Download PDF Brochure >>

Free concert at International House by distinguished South African artist The Ha!Man - Don't miss this one!

The HA!Man (Francois le Roux) is a spontaneous cellist, creating music that fuses his classical background with Africa and the world.

An independent artist, he performs globally, records prolifically and gives inspirational workshops to all ages.
Touted as one of South Africa's top musical talents and a groundbreaking cellist/music creator, he operates independently, traveling about 80 000 km a year by car. He coined the term HA! to express the spirited way in which he conducts his performances.

Performance Date:
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Time:
7pm - 9pm
Where:
International House
322 Hawthorne Lane
Charlotte NC, 28210
Cost: Free (donations welcome)

RSVP not required but helpful.

Contact Hendrik van Vuuren at 704-333-8099 or email hvanvuuren@ihclt.org

Meet Our International Visitors from Serbia

Stop by International House on November 14th from 6pm- 7:30pm and meet our visitors from Serbia. This group of 6 guests includes prosecutorial assistants from the Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office and the Higher Prosecutor’s Offices, as well as police officers working on corruption and financial crime cases for a program on “Combating Global Threats and challenges.

Learn more about their work, culture, customs, and entertainment.

Guests will also enjoy light refreshments. You won’t want to miss this great opportunity for international learning and dialogue!

CNN Top 10 Hero Pushba Basnet
We have a hero in our International House family!

Pushpa Basnet of Nepal, one of our International Visitor Leadership Program participants in 2012, has been named a CNN Top 10 Hero. Pushpa was recognized by CNN for her work with the Children’s Center she opened in Nepal for children of incarcerated parents.

Pushpa's amazing work is also featured in a film documentary, "Waiting for Mamu", produced by Tom Morgan of Charlotte, one of International House's wonderful home hosts. During Pushba's visit to Charlotte, she stayed with Tom and his family, and their time together inspired Tom to travel to Nepal to chronicle her efforts on behalf of children.

To learn more about this amazing story, click here for a link to CNN's feature on Pushba and click here for a link to the web page for "Waiting for Mamu".

If you would like to be a host family for the next "Pushba", please contact Lara Printz, Program Director at International House for more details on how you can further the cause of Citizen Diplomacy in our community.

Lara Printz Celebrates 10 Years at International House

Ten years ago, an associate suggested that Lara Printz apply for a job which had just come open at a Charlotte non-profit. She took that advice and within two weeks she brought her boundless energy, infectious enthusiasm, and her innate talent for bringing very diverse groups of people together to the International House. A decade later, Lara is still loving every minute of it.

"Every aspect of the job attracted me", Lara recalls. "I love working in a non-profit environment. I really enjoy the multi-cultural experience, the team spirit that pervades International House, and the creativity required to do my job."

Today Lara is Program Director of Citizen Diplomacy and Intercultural Activities. Together with her staff and a dedicated team of IH volunteers, Lara puts together programs for international visitors from around the world, as well as a wide variety of cultural experiences for the citizens of Charlotte and the surrounding area.

Read more about Lara >>

International House's Citizenship Classes Help Client Pass Citizenship Test

Marlen Moreno, a participant in the International House Citizenship Tutoring Program, recently passed her citizenship test. She came back to the class last Sunday to tell everyone about her accomplishment.

A short testimonial from Marlen's tutor, Amy Rae Foss:

"Working with Marlen was incredibly rewarding. While I'm used to teaching, I'm not as accustomed to my student being so excited to learn. She put in a lot of extra time preparing for our time together and studying what had been introduced the week before. It made showing up each week worthwhile. I was excited to figure out the best way to help her. The Sunday before she took the test, we did a run through of the whole thing, and I knew she was ready. I'm so proud of the work she put in and the positive and encouraging attitude she had each week! "

Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday, International House will be closed on Friday, November 23rd. We will reopen on Monday the 26th. The international House staff wishes everyone an enjoyable Thanksgiving.

GET INVOLVED . . .

For more information about our people, programs, or organization please email info@ihclt.org or call 704-333-8099.

Cause for Celebration!

We did it! After months of planning, meetings, negotiations, fundraising, blood, sweat, and a few tears, International House is finally poised to take the big step of relocating to a new home in mid-December. And even more remarkably, we have not only managed to find an incredible home for ourselves, but in the process, have created a unique campus of like-minded organizations that will form the Midwood International & Cultural Center (MICC).

Although we have known for awhile that International House must move from our current location, we never thought we would be in the position of creating and managing a multi-tenant enterprise. But, when the opportunity emerged, we rose to the challenge! There have been conversations in the Charlotte community for some years now about the need for a community center where international and cultural groups could find affordable space. Finally, this dream has come to fruition.

"MICC solves a basic human need, the need to be near one another as part of a broader community,” says International House board member Monte Ritchey who has been the primary driver of the Midwood initiative. “Every organization that will make its home at MICC is focused in one way or another on community, diplomacy, tolerance, and neighborliness. The beauty of MICC is that the leaders of these organizations, their staff, and their supporters all become neighbors. Their efforts are multiplied, and the world benefits."

Although we are fully committed to this project, we are not yet fully funded. The silent phase of our capital campaign has already raised $99,500 in public sector grants and an additional $75,000 in private donations. We still need $75,000 to reach the finish line and pay for the renovations and improvements that are necessary. These include adding bathrooms to the auditorium, life safety improvements, repairs to the parking lots, new signage, and a new security system.

I invite you to help us cover the last few miles on the road to our new home at MICC by making a gift today to our capital campaign. This is an extraordinary one-time event that deserves the support of the many, many friends and supporters that have grown to know and love International House.

International House Board President Brad Merlie says it well: "I believe most people who are asked to donate to nonprofits expect them to be good stewards of resources and to seek synergies with other nonprofits to manage expenses. Midwood International & Cultural Center squarely achieves those aims, while at the same time enhancing the cultural and ethnic fabric of our community."

Your gift to our MICC capital campaign has the ripple effect of not only ensuring a new and improved home for International House, but also providing an affordable, convenient location for a coalition of partner organizations who also give back to our community. The impact is large, indeed!

We hope you will consider this unique opportunity and give generously. For more information, to donate online, or to view giving levels and naming rights, please visit our website, www.ihclt.org.

Thank you!
By Denise Cumbee Long

Doorways is a group of international women meeting on the first Wednesday of each month for social and cultural exchanges. These meetings typically take place at International House and feature different presentations from guest speakers.

The next meeting of the International House Book Club will be on Monday, November 19th, 2012 at 7 p.m. Everyone welcome!

The book to be discussed will be State of Wonder by Ann Patchett - BRAZIL

Ann Patchett has dazzled readers with her award-winning books, including The Magician's Assistant and the New York Times bestselling Bel Canto. Now she raises the bar with State of Wonder, a provocative and ambitious novel set deep in the Amazon jungle.

Click here to learn more about our featured books.

Das sind aufregende! International House is very excited to announce the addition of a German conversation hour to our extensive list of opportunities to practice, polish, and perfect your favorite second language.

Beginning on November 6th, you are invited to practice your German the first and third Tuesday of each month from 6-7 PM. These sessions will be moderated by native speakers in a comfortable and very supportive setting and they are appropriate for all skill levels. Best of all, the conversation hours are free and open to everyone!

Click here for a schedule of current conversation hours or contact Gail Johnson at gjohnson@ihclt.org for more info.

Ginter Foundation - $30,000
for the Immigrant Advocacy Program

Merancas Foundation - $25,000 for the Adult English Tutoring program

PNC Bank - $10,000
for Charlotte University

Euclid Innovations Inc. - $1,500 for the Immigrant Advocacy Program