Our Study Abroad and Global Experiences (SAGE) office celebrated Exchange Day on August 7, and it was so successful we have decided to make it an annual event. The potluck was jointly organized by SAGE, our Community College Initiative (CCI) students (led by Program Director Vanessa Singh), and our valued partners from Mayor Demming’s office. This is an exciting example of how Valencia College and the community can come together to celebrate diversity and raise cultural awareness.

• Exchange Day is a relatively new global holiday, and was first known as “J Day,” to commemorate international education and exchanges made possible through the Exchange Visitor (J Visa) Program.
• Since its launch in 2014, the celebration has grown significantly with events now being held across the U.S.
• The theme of this year’s Exchange Day was “Eat, Play, Give!”
• Over 50 people attended the event with more than 30 delicious dishes representing countries around the world.

The CCI students beautifully coordinated the entertainment portion of the night including traditional dances representing their cultures, a slide show with photos of their countries, and an exciting Turkish group dance at the end engaging all participants.