Azalea International Folk Fair

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Enjoy a Glance: School Field Trip Program

History & Mission

Founded in 2000, The Valdosta Asian Cultural Association (Now dba Azalea International Folk Fair of Valdosta, Georgia) was created with the clear and definite mission of serving as an invaluable educational resource to augment the social studies curriculum in South Georgia. The images and illustrations portrayed in school textbooks can be limited, abstract, or remote. We envision a project that literally brings the world to our doorsteps and provides a concrete expression of the world's many traditions, cultures, and arts to supplement school textbooks and lessons. Developing programs that bring the world's rich cultural diversity to enrich the lives and educational opportunities of everyone here in South Georgia has been the driving force and primary objective of the organization and all our activities.

We began in 2000 with a three-hour program at the Valdosta-Lowndes Public Library called the Chinese Cultural Reflection that allowed students to explore the richness of the world's oldest living civilization and the social customs of today's modern China.

In 2004, we were fortunate to form enriching friendships and working partnerships with members of Valdosta's Asian communities. United by a spirit of caring and giving, we worked together to create a program entitled the Asian Cultural Experience to tell a broader story of Asian tradition.

In 2007, with an unwavering sense of purpose and a strong measure of confidence developed as a result of eight successful years and much valuable experience, we decided to expand the scope of our program to include Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, Russia and the rest of the global community. In keeping with our expanded mission, we gave the 2007 event a new title: The Azalea International Folk Fair which showcases amazing number of cultures and countries from around the world represented right here in Valdosta and Lowndes County. They are some of Valdosta's very talented, very dedicated international citizens who have been generously giving their time and energy to share their traditions with us.

On February 1, 2008, both Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia State Senate designated Azalea International Folk Fair & Dance Competition as Georgia's official international festival. What an honor!! Congratulation, Valdosta City and Lowndes County!!

Azalea International Folk Fair promotes lively cultural exchange, provides richly diverse entertainment, and enriches the local social studies curriculum in the largest scale in Georgia State. Now the project continues the tradition of having two days of school field trips (on Thursday & Friday) and a one-day regional festival (on Saturday), with teachers, students and visitors coming from all over the South. Our website & video clips at www.youtube.com/azaleainternational tells how our grass-roots efforts have helped to open doors for our region's future social, economic, educational and cultural development.

Goals & Mission

South Georgia has historically existed as a large geographical region composed of farmlands, woodlands, scattered rural communities, and a number of small towns. Communities were insular, sparse and disconnected, both from each other and, most certainly, from the rest of the world. Many children grew up with limited horizons and few connections beyond their own small areas. But geographic and historic isolation should not continue to be barriers to communities and schools wishing to explore, appreciate, and develop real connections to the larger world that lies outside their boundaries.

We passionately believe that South Georgia's students and community members deserve the same opportunities and access to knowledge and activities as those who live in large metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Savannah and Orlando. Interactive programs informing and inspiring students to think about the stories that are important to the world are common in large cities, but rare outside of urban areas.

Developing such programs and opportunities has become the driving force and goal of all the activities of the Azalea International Folk Fair. The primary goal of the Azalea International Folk Fair is to serve as a helpful, meaningful enrichment to the local middle schools' social studies curriculum.

2009 The 4th Annual World Culture Folk Dance Competition

2007 The 2nd Annual World Culture Folk Dance Competition

International Exhibition for Young Inventors - USA Chapter

The International Exhibition for Young Inventors (IEYI) is an annual event inaugurated in 2004 by the International Forum for Invention Promotion (IFIP), a worldwide organization initiated by Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation (JIII) in 2004. At the meeting, a total of 38 international members pledged to work together to present and honor outstanding inventions created by the youth from around the world in an annual setting. The IFIP envisions that young school children will enjoy the exciting rewards for their "creating or inventing something" and will most likely to grow up to become productive individuals having great passion and respect for science, technology and creative powers.

Young school students should be given mediums and opportunities to develop key skills that are required in understanding fundamental concepts behind science and technology. The public exhibition of their inventions should be a heart-warming, rewarding experience that showcases their hard work and passion. Thus, JIII took the lead in creating such an experience by sponsoring the 1st annual IEYI in August, 2004 in Tokyo.

The IEYI is an IFIP event that holds on rotational basis amongst member countries.

The first annual IEYI was a great success graciously supported by 38 participating countries. A new legacy of invention was created and then continued in the 2005 program, organized by the Malaysia Innovation and Design Society (MINDS) with 16 countries contributing and the 2006 program, sponsored by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) with 12 countries involved. The 4th IEYI in 2007 was sponsored by Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and was highly attended.

The 5th annual IEYI in 2008 took place in Taipei, Taiwan between September 25 - 28, organized by the Taiwan Creativity Development Association (Website: www.tcda.org.tw) in collaboration with National Taiwan Normal University.

The 6th annual IEYI in 2009 was held in Abuja, Nigeria, between November 25 - 30. The Nigeria Association of Inventors (NAI), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology with the approval of the Federal Government of Nigeria has pleasure to host the 6th Edition of the International Exhibition of Young Inventors (IEYI) alongside the 1st Nigeria International Invention and Innovation Exhibition (NIIIE) in Abuja .

The 7th annual IEYI in 2010 is planned to take place in Vietnam.

The 8th annual in 2011 will be held in Thailand - Land of Smiles!!

Of course, U.S.A. SHALL NOT (NEVER) be left behind in bringing this meaningful, worldwide program to enrich the education and lives here in America. In 2008, in collabaoration with Valdosta's Lowndes High School, the Azalea International Folk Fair of Valdosta, GA created the Young Inventors Club of Georgia to promote and coordinate the invention activitie in the U.S.A. Know more about this IFIP U.S.A. representative, visit: www.GAinternationalfolkfair.or g. & www.youtube.com/azaleainternat ional.

In the next few years, the Azalea International Folk Fair, working with Lowndes County School System (www.lowndes.k12.ga.us), will strive to earn the honor, the pleasure and the privilege of hosting the IEYI right here in Valdosta, Georgia.

Any charity foundations or institutions recognize this (IMPOSSIBLE??) MISSION worth of your patronage and investment, write to: project.director@gainternation alfolkfair.org.

Every America's scientific talents SHINE in the global stage.

2010 Youth Invention - Worldwide Participation

Always memorable and rewarding, 2010's Azalea International Folk Fair has turned to be especially exciting as 18 exceptional young scientific talents from Taiwan and the Philippines have participated in the Folk Fair by competing in the Youth Invention Exhibition and Competition. The young inventors and their teachers flew halfway around the world to visit our beautiful city and be a part of the Azalea International Folk Fair. How fortunate for us to have this opportunity to extend to them our famous Southern hospitality as they in turn share their culture, tradition and heritage with us. Our own students were surely inspired. These culture and science ambassadors dedicated two entire days to the Fair's school field trip program, in which nearly 2,500 students from all over South Georgia and North Florida came to Valdosta for the unique learning experience of the world. Even as our students learned from them, they learned from our students. One of their primary goals in traveling here is to learn more about us, the United States of American, the greatest country of the world. They wish to learn from our culture and values to our education and recreation. In such an amazing cultural exchange, each side have learned more about the other, with everyone gaining so much from it: new insights, new knowledge and new horizons. As for the competition, know that by simply participating today, young inventors have already accomplished much. Part of competing is not simply winning, but more importantly, learning the virtues of good sportsmanship. That means being gracious, in defeat, and coming back, even more determined, when the next opportunity presents itself. And in victory, it means being humble, kind to others, and continuing one's patient, hard work. But whether one wins placement or not, you are all already winners, because you have had to accomplish so much. initiation, development, creativity, production..in order to come here and present. Most importantly, the value of a competition like this is not so much about winning, but in representing your talents, your commitment, your dedication and you country with pride to the world, and learning about the world through invention and technology. Bear that honor, with pride. You bear the pride of those who support and love you, in all you do. You are the world's best ambassadors.