City Hosts International Students' Reception
November 17, 2009
Annual Event Helps Acclimate Students to Tallahassee - The City of Tallahassee will host the 10th annual Charles Billings International Students' Reception on Monday, Nov. 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science. The event is designed to familiarize international college students with the downtown area, City services, local vendors and community organizations. The reception is free to the public.
Participating institutions include Florida A & M University, Florida State University, Tallahassee Community College, Lively Technical Center, the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science, and the TLH-SXM Foundation. As in previous years the atmosphere promises to be festive, with the event including refreshments, live entertainment, and door prizes.
Hosting the event downtown exposes this client base to the many activities, facilities, and venues in Tallahassee's city center. Students also learn about the variety of services offered by City government, ranging from mass transit on StarMetro to utility services, and they also are able to access information on Tallahassee's local businesses and cultural organizations. The event also links the City with the large university student community present in Tallahassee.
The event traces its origin to 2000, when the late City Commissioner Charles Billings suggested the City host a special day to recognize international students attending local universities and colleges. With the success of the first reception, Commissioner Billings and City Manager Anita Favors Thompson supported creating an annual event to honor international students. The event is sponsored by the City's Economic and Community Development Department, as an outreach of both economic development and sister city/international affairs efforts.
For more information regarding this event, students should contact their school's International Center or Student Service Department, or the City of Tallahassee's Economic and Community Development Department at 891-6500 or online at Talgov.com.
Contact
Bonita Paige, Economic & Community Development Department, 891-6462; or Bill Behenna, Department of Communications, 891-8533
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