UAHS student planned a community-wide cultural fair for people to learn about the culture and diversity of our fellow community members

by Maya Mattan, ’20

After months of thinking and planning, UAHS junior Jessie Goldberg created Upper Arlington’s first ever community-wide culture fair with the help of Equal UA and UA Public Library. The culture fair took place on Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Tremont library.

The event featured cultures from around the world. Upper Arlington community members, students and parents represented their culture with food, artwork and information at stands.

Goldberg planned the fair for her capstone. While Upper Arlington High School holds an annual cultural fair, it is only open to students. Goldberg said she believed the community needed to experience one as well.

“This one was supposed to be for the entire community because the school ones have been limited to only students and their parents, not everyone,” Goldberg said.

Photos courtesy Jessie Goldberg.

Goldberg’s idea sparked in an Ideas Seminar class.

“I was in Mrs. Moore’s Ideas Seminar, which was like this class where you got to basically explore any subject of interest that you could think of, so I wanted to explore cultural awareness,” she said.

She thought about issues that the community faces, and that was one that came up.

“Its important for the whole community to understand the importance of diversity.”