International Education Leaders in Indy

Delegations from six South American countries and Mexico are visiting Indiana as part of the U.S. Department of State International Visitors Leadership Program this month, reports the Indiana Department of Education.

Indiana is one of five stops for the delegates to learn more about K-12 education in the United States. Starting 17 November, they also visited Iowa, Georgia, Utah and Washington, D.C.They'll be in the U.S. through 5 December.

The visitors from Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Venezuela, Peru and Mexico are meeting with DOE officials in Indianapolis to learn more about the state’s role in education policy, curriculum development, testing and accountability and funding of public education.

The International Visitors Leadership Program annually brings to the U.S. approximately 5,000 foreign nationals from all over the world to meet and confer with their professional counterparts. The visitors, who are selected by American Foreign Service Officers overseas, are current or potential leaders in government, politics, the media, education, the arts, business and other fields.

To learn more about Indiana’s international education initiatives, click here.

Two Speakers Worth a Trip to Greencastle

DePauw University hosts two presentations today (12 March).

First up is Fatima Sadiqi (pictured), feminist scholar and president of the Centre for Studies and Research on Women, who will speak at 4 p.m. in the Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media's Watson Forum on "Islam and the Women's Movement in Morocco."

Then, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the Richard E. Peeler Art Center, Mary Ellen Fieweger will discuss, "Community Journalism, Popular Education, and Fighting for the Future: The Story of Periodico Intag in Ecuador."

Both events are free and open to the public.

Bios and more information are here.

7th annual Lotus Blossoms Educational Outreach

Lotus Blossoms, the seventh annual celebration of cultural arts and diversity sponsored by the Lotus Education and Arts Foundation, takes place this month in Bloomington and south-central Indiana.

Outreach programs visit more than 20 schools, but there are also events for the general public: two concerts, a lecture, and an array of free "meet the artists" Q&A sessions and demonstrations.

A "world bazaar" is open to the public on 24 March.

Featured artists are Indian singer Kiran Ahluwalia (pictured); Ecuadorean folk group Andes Manta; Rwandan singer, dancer, and drummer Jean-Paul Samputu; and storyteller-musicians Sparky and Rhonda Rucker.

The Schedule of Public Events gives the details. The first one is tomorrow (7 March) and the last one 27 March.

For information on the schools schedule, click here.