Updates for August 2014!
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JOIN US FOR THE 
MIDWOOD INTERNATIONAL & CULTURAL CENTER ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE! 

 

Sunday, August 24, 5-7pm   FREE!  

 

Everyone is invited to the second annual Open House at Midwood International & Cultural Center (MICC) for a chance to meet our tenants, taste some light refreshments, and enjoy a cultural program featuring Bosnian folk dancing, Indian classical dance, and a Japanese chorus. 

 

Drop by and see International House's classrooms and offices, take a peek at the Light Factory's new gallery and exhibition, and meet representatives of other organizations who are our neighbors here at MICC, including Grameen America, the Japanese Association, One Ethiopian Community, the Language Academy, Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Cultural Center, Greenhorn Piano and Julie Dean Voice Studios, Universal Institute for Successful Aging, and the League of Women Voters. 

 

Visitors may drop-in for a self-guided tour of Midwood International & Cultural Center from 5-6pm and then enjoy cultural performance in the auditorium from 6-7pm.   See you there!

IH Partners with Charlotte Film Society

 to present From the Back of the Line

August 8th at 7pm

 

International House and Charlotte Film Society present a free screening of the documentary From the Back of the Line Friday August 8th at 7pm in the Midwood International & Cultural Center Auditorium located at 1817 Central Avenue, Charlotte, North Carolina. 


From the Back of the Line examines the lives of six mixed status families living and working in Charlotte. The film follows their struggles as they navigate the deportation process and its impact on their families and community. 


Exploring both the legal process and ethical impact, From the Back of the Line examines how modern U.S. Immigration policies are shaping America's future. 


Directed by Charlotte filmmaker Toby Shearer, produced by Armando Bellmas of the Latin American Coalition and storyteller Hannah Levinson, From the Back of the Line tells the stories behind American immigration statistics. 


Please join us for this special screening followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and subjects from the film. Free and open to the public.

Dedicated IH English Tutor Helps 

Student Achieve her Dream

Maricela Boyzo with her tutor, Priscilla Sawicki

Growing up in Mexico, Maricela Boyzo's father believed that children should work and not go to school. So when she arrived in the USA as a young bride, not only could she not speak English, but she could also not read or write in her native Spanish. 

 
After years of struggling with a new language, Maricela enrolled in International House's English Tutoring program in 2011 and was paired with IH tutor Priscilla Sawicki. Priscilla is a retired school teacher who spent many years overseas, and has a keen appreciation for the difficulties faced by non-native speakers as they attempt to navigate the details of everyday life.


Within moments of their meeting, Priscilla realized that Maricela faced many more challenges than the typical student in IH's English program. "Maricela told me that she had never been to school. She didn't even know the alphabet. I realized within minutes that Maricela and I were going back to 1st grade."  

 

Despite the considerable obstacles, Maricela was ...

 

Help Us Welcome the World. Volunteer as a Home Host for our International Visitors! 
This Fall, International House will welcome three exciting international delegations who will be in need of home hosting!

We are currently seeking individuals and families to welcome our guests into their homes, serve as cultural ambassadors, assist with transportation on the weekdays with drop-offs around 9:00 am and pick-ups around 5:00pm (carpools can be arranged), as well as provide breakfast and dinner. 

A Home Host Orientation will be arranged prior to your guest's arrival. Please see below for information on each of these exciting groups.

 

Youth from Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, September 5-17:
International House will be hosting an international delegation of seven Youth Leaders from Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.  We are looking for home hosts to welcome these young leaders into their homes. Their program will focus on youth leadership, civic engagement, diversity, and environmental leadership.

Georgia, September 19-27:
We will also be hosting six adult Georgian disability rights advocates. They will visit Charlotte to learn about disability access and disability rights in the United States. 

Zambia and Zimbabwe, October 11th - November 2nd:
We are delighted to be hosting a group of six esteemed delegates from Zambia and Zambia through the Professional Fellows Program.  


If you are interested in hosting one or more of these visitors during their stay in Charlotte, please contact our office at 704-342-2248 Ext 121 or jcauswell@ihclt.org.   Thank You!
 

 Tri Color BarHelp Us Meet our Challenge Grant Goal.  Please Pledge Your Support Today!

You might think that a contribution to International House isn't really needed or necessary. 

 

Please think again!  

 

We can only continue our great programs and services to Charlotte's international community with support from friends like you!  

 

And now, one of our generous supporters has made a challenge grant of $2,000 if we can raise an additional $4,000 by summer's end.  A gift from you now will have even more of an impact.  


Your donation will help us continue to provide a "hand up", not a "hand out", to hundreds of  new neighbors like Maricela who worked with our Education Department and her volunteer tutor Priscilla for 3 years to learn English and become a very proud U.S. citizen who wants to give back to our community.  With your financial support, we can help foster more success stories like Maricela's!

 

Gifts of any amount are welcomed and appreciated. Donate by clicking on the button below;

 

 

If you prefer to mail a check, please send it to the following address:

International House

Attention: Rusty Reynolds

1817 Central Avenue Suite 215

Charlotte, NC 28205

 

Thank you for considering a gift that will help strangers become neighbors. We couldn't do it without you! 
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Summer Youth Tutoring Program
 a Tremendous Success!

Our 2014 Youth English Tutoring Program (YETP) wrapped up this week with exceptional results for hundreds of Charlotte's youngest students most vulnerable to falling behind their peers during the summer recess.

 

For the past six weeks, our dedicated site coordinators, lead teachers, curriculum and assessment specialists, and tutors have all worked diligently to help 232 students at four area elementary schools expand their literacy skills. 

 

During the program, our students have grown so much - they have learned new vocabulary, have strengthened their reading abilities and reading comprehension skills, made lasting friendships, and so much more. It has been so wonderful to visit the schools and see the students excited about learning and reading! 

 

In the beginning of the summer, a grant from Duke Energy allowed our students to plant flowers.  They have loved seeing their plants grow and bloom over the course of the program. Just like the flowers, the students have bloomed and grown into better readers and writers.

Make Plans to Join Us for our 26th Annual Gala October 18th!

Australian food has undergone a transformation in the last 30 years from mostly heavy English-style food to a much lighter, fresher, cuisine significantly influenced by its many Mediterranean and Asian immigrants. Australia's 19 million people live overwhelmingly on the coastal areas, so seafood tends to be popular.

 

If you ever go to Australia here are some of the things you might eat:
biscuit - cookie
damper - a heavy bread often made over a campfire
cordial - punch
pikelet - small pancake often served with tea 
chips - french fries
crisps - potato chips
sammo, sambo, or sanger - sandwich
cut lunch - packed lunch
snag - sausage
devon - lunch meat like bologna
treacle - dark molasses
aubergine - eggplant
courgette - zucchini
rock melon - cantaloupe
tomato sauce - ketchup
chook - chicken
lolly - candy

You may not see all these foods at our 26th Annual Gala on October 18th, but we guarantee you will have fun while helping International House continue its important work in the community! For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

 
In This Month's Issue!
Open House August 24th, 5-7pm
Charlotte Film Society at IH August 8th, 7pm
IH Tutor Helps Student Achieve Dream
Welcome the World into your Home. Be a Home Host
Pledge Your Support For International House Today
Summer Youth Tutoring a Phenomenal Success
Join us at our 26th Gala October 18th
 
From Our 
Executive Director

Another Successful Summer for YETP!

 

International House's signature Youth English Tutoring Program (YETP) finished with a bang on July 31st at four local elementary schools.

 

 This remarkable initiative has grown from serving 36 children at its inception in 2010 to assisting over 230 students from non-English speaking families in 2014.  If you had dropped by one of our school sites at Merry Oaks, Nations Ford, Montclaire, or Pinewood Elementary Schools during the last six weeks, you would have seen eager young students practicing reading and writing skills using a variety of creative activities provided by their teachers and tutors.

 

There are children from over 150 countries in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system speaking more than 170 different languages. Studies show that students who do not speak English at home lose ground over the summer months and are behind their peers when they return to school in the fall. 

 

 International House's free summer program is a much needed intervention that keeps these children from falling behind.  Our results are impressive: over 95% maintain or improve their English skills at the end of the six-week program. Even more, these children self-confidence and a love of learning that they carry with them into their next school year.

 

This summer's YETP received some great media attention. Check out the article that appeared in the July 30th edition of the Charlotte Observer HERE.  We were also pleased to host CMS Deputy Superintendent Ann Clark and School Board member Tom Tate at two of our participating schools, as well as visits by some of our generous funders. Many thanks to the Belk Foundation, Piedmont Natural Gas, Wells Fargo, Duke Energy, SPX, and Sarah Belk Gambrell for making this summer's program possible. 

 

 Finally, a big "shout out" to International House's fearless Director of Education, Megan Mavity, and YETP Project Coordinator Monique Howell for their vision, hard work, and superb management skills. Congratulations on a job well done! 

 


 
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Language Conversation Hours!

 

International House celebrates language and culture through weekly conversation hours.  

FREE and for all levels! 

 

*No registration required

* Drop-ins welcome

* All ages welcome

 

Conversation hours are held at 1817 Central Avenue, 

Room 202  

 

Check out the calendar

 

International Book Club 

 

Join our International Book Club! The club explores works by international authors with international settings and themes. 

 

Our book club meets the 
third Monday of 
each month at 7 p.m. 

at International House.  We are taking July and August off and our next meeting is 

 

Monday,  September 15th.  

 


Watch Great Golf and Support IH! 

 

We are very excited to announce that International House has been officially accepted into the 2014 Chiquita Classic Charity Ticket Program! When you purchase tickets and use our code (#46) all of the proceeds will be donated back to International House.

 

Click on the link below to order tickets and enjoy the upcoming event in September while helping IH programs at the same time! 

 

Purchase Chiquita Classic Tickets Here

   

 

  Are you a young professional ages 21-39 with an interest in International Activities?

   

The Young Professionals @ International House are young professionals seeking to build a vibrant, global community in Charlotte through activities and events that engage the Charlotte community, build international understanding, and support the programs and services of International House.

 

For a limited time (through August 31), pay only $38 for an IH@YP membership that will be valid through April 30, 2015. Sign up here.

 Questions? Contact Johnelle Causwell at jcauswell@ihclt.org.


To sign up for our YP@IH Newsletter, contact us at YP@ihclt.org.

Join Young Professionals @ International House today!   

       

Our Upcoming International Visitors! 

 

 September 5th - 17th

Colombia, Equador and Peru- Youth Leadership Group

 

September 19th - 27th

Georgia- Disability Rights and Healthcare advocates and activists

 

October 11th - November 2nd

Zambia and Zimbabwe Professional Fellows

 

October 15th - 18th

Afghanistan- Banking and Business

  


Many Thanks to Our
 2014 Gala Sponsors! 
(as of August 1st)

Bank of America

Carolinas HealthCare System

CommScope

Piedmont Natural Gas

SPX

Blum, Inc.

Coats & Clark

KPMG LLP

Moore & Van Allen

Providence Day School

Web Full Circle

 

Aziz Immigration Law Firm

BB&T

Cadwalader

Carolina Panthers

Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm

Into Languages Global

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Murata Machinery USA, Inc.

PNC Bank

SouthEnd Dentistry

Stuart and Teresa Singer

The Language Academy of the Carolinas

Avantgarde Translations

Carolina Tractor, Inc.

Cataler North America

Huber Technology, Inc.

K&L Gates LLP

Management inSites

Pixelatoms, LLC

Viscotec Automotive Products, LLC


 

Thank You!

www.ihclt.org  ~
 704-333-8099
Where Charlotte Welcomes The World!