Spanish Courses & Cursos de Inglés

If you're an English-speaker looking for a Spanish class, or a Spanish-speaker looking for instruction in English, Language School and Services, part of Latino Advocacy in Community Affairs (LACA) at the Urban League, 777 Indiana Avenue, Indianapolis, may have what you seek. Registration for winter classes ends 11 December, and classes begin 4 January 2010.

LACA uses Total Physical Response (TPR). Students learn Spanish through interactive lessons that replicate real situations. Focus is given to comprehension and conversation, supplemented by grammar, reading, and writing. Home study and personal improvement are encouraged, but no homework or tests are required. LACA offers five intermediate and five advanced level classes at $175.

Classes require a minimum of five students and are held once a week only, most in the evenings from 6-8 p.m., for 10 weeks. The winter term is January-March, the spring term is March-May, the summer term is June-August and the fall term is September-November. Most classes are in the Urban League offices.

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Kelly Church at Eiteljorg Museum

Artist-in-residence through Saturday (5 December) at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Southwestern Art, 500 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, is Kelly Church, a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa (that's her strawberry basket, at left).

Church is a fifth-generation Black Ash basket weaver, and a Birch Bark Biter. She makes traditional, utilitarian baskets, as well as contemporary baskets, such as a woven checker game, baskets out of vinyl blinds and recently wove a basket out of copper. Kelly participates in art shows throughout the country and is very active in her community teaching how to harvest and process baskets and informing the public about the Emerald Ash Borer.

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Osili Named Director of Research at Center on Philanthropy

Dr. Una Okonkwo Osili (pictured) has been named director of research for the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis.

Osili has served as interim director of research at the Center since October 2008. She will develop new research initiatives, convene scholars and nonprofit professionals nationally and internationally, direct the Center’s research department, and serve as lead researcher on several research projects.

An associate professor of economics and Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Osili has served as a consultant for the United Nations Development Program, the United Economics Commission for Africa and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Osili also served on the International Scientific Panel for the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa/MacArthur Foundation Real Economies of Africa program and as a member of the Expert Advisory Panel for the Economic Report on Africa published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

Dr. Osili's recent studies have centered on how cultural diversity affects philanthropy in the United States, using data from the Center on Philanthropy Panel Study to look at charitable behavior of immigrants.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics with honors from Harvard University and a master of arts and a Ph.D. in economics from Northwestern University. The daughter of an American mother and a Nigerian father, she lived in Nigeria until she was 15 years old. She is the wife of architect Vop Osili, who recently announced his candidacy for Indiana Secretary of State.

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US Ambassador-Designate to Serbia Speaks at Valpo

The United States Ambassador-designate to the Republic of Serbia will present the commencement address at Valparaiso University's ceremonies honoring mid-year graduates, reports the Valpo news bureau.

Ceremonies for students expected to complete requirements for undergraduate, graduate and law degrees begin at 2:30 p.m. 13 December in the Chapel of the Resurrection.

Mary Burce Warlick (pictured), a Valpo alumna and a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, was nominated to the ambassador post by President Barack Obama in September. Her experience at the U.S. Department of State began in 1983 and she has served in several posts at U.S. embassies in Asia and Europe and as minister-counselor for economic affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. During that assignment, she traveled extensively in Russia and worked on a wide range of trade, investment and energy issues, including Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization and the protection of intellectual property rights.

Warlick's assignments in Washington, D.C., include serving most recently as acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia policy. Prior to that, Warlick served as acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO policy, special assistant to the president and senior director for Russia at the National Security Council, director of the State Department's Office of Russian Affairs and as director of the Office of Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus Affairs.

Warlick graduated from Valpo in 1979 with a degree in political science and humanities, and was a Christ College (honors college) scholar. She later earned a master's degree in international relations from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. In 2006, she received the Secretary of State's Award for Public Outreach and she has received eight Superior Honor Awards from the State Department.

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Dow AgroSciences Expands Seed Business in Canada

An affiliate of Indianapolis-based Dow AgroSciences LLC is acquiring the largest, privately owned, multi-crop breeding program in Canada, reports Inside INdiana Business. Dow AgroSciences Canada Inc. plans to purchase the Hyland Seeds brand and the sales, marketing and administrative areas. Dow will continue to independently market seeds under the Hyland Seeds brand and keeps its headquarters in Blenheim, Ontario.

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McIntosh Named Rotary World Peace Fellow

Dr. Ian McIntosh (pictured, at right, top), Director of International Partnerships at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis and faculty member in the Department of Anthropology, has been named a 2010 Rotary World Peace Fellow.

As part of this award, Dr. McIntosh will spend three months next summer at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand at the Rotary Center for International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution.

The purpose of the Rotary Centers program is to:
· Support and advance research, teaching, publication, and practical field experience on issues of peace, goodwill, causes of conflict, and world understanding
· Inspire people to work for a culture of peace and tolerance while enhancing their capacity, knowledge, and skill by generating interaction between practitioners and academics
· Provide advanced international education opportunities in the area of peace and conflict resolution
· Provide a means for The Rotary Foundation and Rotarians to increase their effectiveness in promoting greater tolerance and cooperation among peoples, leading to world understanding and peace

Dr. McIntosh's research interests focus on issues of truth and reconciliation in global perspective, and he teaches a class at IUPUI that utilizes a unique "reconciliation barometer" to shed light on the quest for reconciliation through treaties, peace accords, apologies, reparations, truth commissions, trials and memorials. In partnership with the Scholars at Risk Network of New York University, and Human Rights Works, he coordinates the “Voices at Risk, Visions of Hope” speaker series at IUPUI. This series provides opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to interact via video-conference with some of the world’s most distinguished scholars who, as a result of their advocacy for human rights and justice in their homelands, have been forced to take refuge in the USA.

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A Benediction from Thomas Friedman

In a deviation from our usual presentation of evidence of "the world in Indiana", here's a quote from The New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman:

"America — with its open, free, no-limits, immigrant-friendly society — is still the world’s greatest dream machine."

Indy's International Festival shows our multicultural "face" to the world. Our diversity is a source of strength in central Indiana. This year's celebration may be over, but you can make plans to participate in 2010: the dates are 18-21 November.

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The Award Winners are Announced

Awards for the just-completed 2009 International Festival have been announced. First and second place awards are given to Nationalities Council of Indiana member-groups in each of five categories: theme, educational value, creativity, quality and food. In addition, the best overall culture booth received the grand prize trophy, nicknamed "The Betty".

Winners are as follows:

Creativity: 1st - Confucius Institute at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis; 2nd - India Association of Indianapolis.
Educational value: 1st - Indiana Association of Chinese Americans; 2nd - Italian Heritage Society of Indiana.
Quality: 1st - Sons of Norway; 2nd - Scottish Society of Indianapolis.
Theme: 1st - Taiwanese American Association of Indianapolis; 2nd - Swiss Club Of Central Indiana.
Food: 1st - Taiwanese American Association of Indianapolis; 2nd - German American Klub.
Best Overall Cultural Booth Trophy: Indiana German Heritage Society (pictured).

This year's Volunteer Service award (nicknamed "The Steve") went to Dan and Sophia Anderson.

The outside judges for the awards came from IUPUI.

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Sunday's the Last Day of the 2009 International Festival

The Parade of Nations always is a highlight of Saturdays at Indy's International Festival. Sunday's the last day for the 2009 festival, so head to the Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1201 East 38th Street, Indianapolis, between noon and 6 p.m. today!

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Indy's International Festival Underway at State Fairgrounds

Here are some pictures of "real dolls" taking part in Indy's International Festival, now through Sunday at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1201 East 38th Street, Indianapolis. Come see for yourself!

Indy's International Festival Underway at State Fairgrounds

Some pictures from Thursday's Student Day at Indy's International Festival, taking place through Sunday at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1201 East 38th Street, Indianapolis. Y'all come!

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Indy's International Festival is This Weekend!

Make plans now to join us at Indy's International Festival, which opens to the public on Friday at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis (Thursday is for student groups). As always, the annual festival is hosted by the Nationalities Council of Indiana. Come see the many faces of Indiana!

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Indy Mayor Heads to Indy's Sister City

According to the Indianapolis mayor's office, Indy Mayor Greg Ballard left for Europe yesterday. He and a delegation of business and community leaders will meet with business leaders, government officials, and researchers in Cologne, Germany (Indy's Sister City) and in the United Kingdom. They return 23 November.

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US-Canada Conference at Purdue

The NEXTRANS Center, with the assistance of the government of Canada and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), will host a conference on U.S.-Canada border trade, security and mobility challenges on 16 November.

The daylong event - titled In Step, In Line, On Time: Regional Strategies for Trade, Security, and Mobility Challenges at the U.S.-Canada Border - will provide an opportunity for researchers and private-sector stakeholders in the Great Lakes region to engage in a dialogue with high-level officials of the U.S. and Canadian government.

The conference will run from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Purdue Memorial Union. Registration is $50, and students are admitted free. For a complete agenda, online registration, travel information and sponsorship information, go online.

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Growing Number of International Students at Valpo

This fall, the number of international students on the northern Indiana campus of Valparaiso University rose to 345 (304 on non-immigrant visas), an 18 percent increase from last year's record setting population of 292 students (245 on non-immigrant visas).

Valpo's international student population has more than tripled since fall 2003, when it hosted 109 students (90 on non-immigrant visas).

There's more information about the university's global learning programs online.

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Indiana's Global Connectedness in its Schools

Promoting global connectedness is one of the goals of the 2009 Indiana Education Transformation Conference to be held 16 and 17 November. It is sponsored by the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning at the University of Indianapolis.

Indiana’s Future: Bold Choices. Better Schools. will bring together nearly 600 school administrators, teachers, community and business leaders, university faculty, and policy-makers with the goal of transforming education across the state. Sessions begin at 1 p.m. 16 November in the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, 350 West Maryland Street, Indianapolis.

Registration information is online. Cost is $135 (if you sign up on or before 11 November); on-site registration is $175.

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Purdue, IU Team Wins Global Idea to Product Competition

GlucaGo LLC, a life sciences company led by a trio from Purdue and Indiana universities, captured the 2009 Global Idea to Product Competition and claimed the $10,000 top prize, beating 14 other teams that qualified by winning local competitions, reports the Purdue News Bureau.

The Global I2P entrepreneurship event, held 30 and 31 October in Austin, Texas, featured teams from 19 universities and eight countries: Great Britain, Portugal, Japan, Sweden, Germany, Ireland and Brazil, and U.S. competitors from Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, Colorado and New Hampshire.

In addition to winning the McCombs School of Business Global Championship category, GlucaGo received the Best Showcase overall award for developing an emergency kit that automatically mixes and injects medication for diabetics. Leading the GlucaGo team are Rush Bartlett, a doctoral student in biomedical engineering at Purdue who also is completing an MBA at IU; Arthur Chlebowski, a doctoral student in biomedical engineering at Purdue; and Peter Greco, who is pursuing an MBA from Purdue.

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Explore Africa in Indianapolis

The Nationalities Council of Indiana is partnering with the Geography Educators' Network of Indiana to present the National Geographic Society's Giant Traveling Map of Africa at this year's International Festival. Measuring 26'x35' and weighing 102 pounds, this giant map of Africa is the world's largest map of the continent. The giant map is designed as a geo-game board to introduce students to the power of map and the diverse geography of Africa -- and you can see it at this year's festival, held 20-22 November 2009 in the West Pavilion of the Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1201 East 38th Street, Indianapolis. All the information you need is here.

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Japan-America Society of Indiana Holds Annual Dinner

Ganbaranakucha, the annual dinner of the Japan-America Society of Indiana, will be held 11 November in the Indiana Roof Ballroom, 140 West Washington Street, Indianapolis. Keynote speaker will be the Honorable John Engler, former governor of Michigan, president and CEO of National Association of Manufacturers. Guests of honor are the honorable George Hisaeda, Consul General of Japan in Chicago, and Rick Schostek, vice-president, Honda Manufacturing of Indiana.

The evening begins with a patrons' reception, followed by a 6:30 p.m. general reception and the 7 p.m. dinner and program. Individual admissions are $80. Registration information is online, with a deadline of 6 November.

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Kimball to Make Safety Devices For German Firm

Jasper-based Kimball Electronics Group, Inc. (KEG) has received a contract to build gas, electrochemical and explosion detection devices for a German company, reports Inside INdiana Business. Draeger will use KEG's products in its PEX 3300 program that includes devices for the oil, gas and petrochemical industries. Production will begin in the spring at KEG's facility in Jasper. KEG is a subsidiary of Kimball International, Inc.

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