HOW TO PUT ON AN INTERNATIONAL FAIR

Buon giorno! Magandang hapon po! Peng an! Hello!

An International Fair is a big undertaking, but the rewards can be huge. Though it is a lot of work, when split between homeschooling families that are committed to its success, it isn't overwhelming. Here is one way to do it.

1. Pick a date. Pick a second date, too, since the first will invariably be booked ;-).

2. Make reservations at a meeting hall (VFW is a good source), church, community room, or other large space. Put it in writing so there is no confusion over times and dates.

3. Decide on a theme. Do you want everyone to research their family tree? Center your fair around the way people worship? Choose a country from every continent? Study a particular time period or event (such as WWII)? Having a theme gives continuity to the diversity.

4. Choose countries. One way to do this is by family ancestry. Another is by smallest family first (since they will have fewer hands to help.) Be conscious of your budget when choosing. Costumes and food for a country like the United States or Mexico will likely be less expensive than, say, Greece or Japan.

5. Determine what each family will present. Here's one way.

At a MINIMUM, each booth will contain:

Country facts (for guests to take)

A map

Pictures

Display of how that country worships

At least one costumed host (the more the better, so that the hosts can participate in visiting each country, too)

Sample portions of food and beverage (make sure these are put into sample cups. Cupcake papers work very well)

A "stamp" for guests' passports

A craft

Flag (can be made from paper or cloth)

A comment sheet for visitors to write their thoughts

Other ideas include pictures of relatives, tracing the immigration route onto the map, a coat of arms, music (turned to a volume audible in booth space only), papers, magazines, money, alphabets, artwork, and anything else country-specific.

Here's how someone choosing Japan might set up:

• Left side of display: Konnichiwa (and Sayonara on right side) in both English-style letters and Japanese symbols
• Map of Japan, hand drawn is good, with major landmarks drawn; or industry, or historical sites, etc
• Egg and cooked tuna sushi (sashimi); green tea
• Kimono, sari, or housecoat
• Origami paper and instructions for a simple folding, or Japanese fish painting
• Fact sheet (there are good facts for every country in the CIA Factbook)
• Drawing or other display of worship
• Japanese symbol on stamp

6. Appoint someone to act as Master of Ceremonies. This person will greet people, hand them their passports, and keep the presentations running at a smooth pace. Each family should be prepared to give a 5 minute presentation relating to their country. It can be a dance, a poem, a song, a reading, a game, or any other thing from their country.

7. Advertise. Do this through other area support groups, your library, community bulletin board, and online listings. One place is the Homeschool Social Register. If you have local groups such as a Dutch-American club or the like, ask them to notify their membership, too.

8. Set up. If you have the space, use tables to create booths. This requires at least two, and preferably three tables per country. If space is at a premium, push a table against a wall so you at least have both vertical and horizontal space. Mark off "booths" with tape on the floor.

9. Prepare passports. Cut out booklets to use as passports. Have visitors get them stamped at each booth by answering three prepared-beforehand questions whose answers are easily obtained at the booth. Have a token prize at the exit for those who get their passports stamped from every country. Include the program order on the front or back inside cover for handy reference.

10. Open the doors and smile :-)

Much of this is an original idea of Hillarie Garnier. Thanks Hilly!