The Council Reviews Cincinnati Impact in 2014
GCWAC Welcomes Community
Last Monday, over 30 community leaders, board members, and council members attended the Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Councils Annual Meeting at the Phoenix. New board members Karlee Hillard, Wolfgang Kreutzer, PJ Lonneman, and Linette Kuy were welcomed onto the Board of Directors and Michelle Harpenau, Executive Director, and Katie Krafka, Director of Global Education Programs, reported on progress the Council made in 2014.
Michelle opened with a brief history and purpose of the council, and introduced the Board of Directors. She continued to describe specific partnerships including the Councils national affiliations with Global Ties US and the World Affairs Council of America.
International Visitors
Michelle was pleased to report that through the Council’s international exchange activities, the region welcomed 208 visitors from 65 countries and boosted the local economy by approximately $158,000. Local businesses, like KMG Sports management and Purse Perfector formed relationships with these visitors which enabled them to expand their reach on a global scale.
GlobalCincinnati.org in 2015
Michelle set clear goals for 2015 with a focus primarily on investment in the Council’s website www.globalcincinnati.org and blog. “[GlobalCincinnati.org] connects all people and internationally oriented organizations,” she clarified, “citizens and visitors may develop an awareness of the vast diversity in our region. It is part of our mission to build this website into a uniting force for the Tri-State area.” Specifically, the Council seeks to grow and refine the Cultural Guides.
Education Programs
Katie confirmed the positive impact the Council has in Cincinnati by describing the Council’s work in fostering Global Education programs. Illustrating the importance of the programs she exclaimed, “When I go into a classroom, some kids think that Ohio is a continent!” After a demonstration of her original Build the World game, she assured attendees that by the time she was done with her activities, the children were able to grasp that “Ohio is actually a state, within a country, within a continent, a part of the world.”
2014 One Mind One World One Night Gala
In addition to the educational programs reaching just under 3,000 students in 2014, Katie explained the Council partnerships with numerous other local organizations to participate several events that encouraged global awareness including the first annual One Mind, One World, One Night Gala. Katie followed this summary with a BIG thank you to volunteers,and interns. She confirmed that they continue to contribute significantly to the Council over all.
Moving Forward
Both Katie and Michelle agree that the work of the Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Council maintains significance in 2015. “If you have any doubts about why our work is important,” Michelle quipped “well, have you seen the news lately?” On a more serious note she elaborated: “Our global community is expanding and we must maintain international relationships to participate in relevant ways.”
View the report in its entirety and compare with past reports.
View pictures from the Annual Meeting.
Please share GCWAC’s impact on social media and get involved!
Hannah McGahee, Social Media Intern
