The International Center (IC) continued to meet a need for short-term lodgings for international visitors, meeting space for UVA departments and organizations’ cultural events, and English language programs for UVA and community members. Each month, the IC hosted multiple social and cultural programs including interactive activities, cooking classes, workshops, and local outings. Large special events this year included the annual Mary Ellen Brown Family Picnic and the Holiday Lights Celebration. The IC collaborated with 36 volunteers for a total of 241 hours to organize and implement these programs. 

Due to the pandemic and the University’s operational changes starting in March, the number of program participants, space users, and lodging guests the center typically engages with in the spring semester decreased. Most programs and reservations in March were cancelled, and, in April and May, only online programs were held and all space and lodging reservations were cancelled.

Erwin Wijaya from Indonesia and Lihong (Mary) Peng from China were awarded the 2020 Lorna Sundberg Scholarship for their academic achievement, leadership, and commitment to volunteerism. 

Each month, approximately 6,600 members of the UVA and Charlottesville community receive the IC newsletter. 

In the annual programming survey, 76% of the respondents strongly agreed and 24% agreed that the IC provided a comfortable and welcoming environment for them to share their own cultures and to learn about other cultures. 

Participant Home Countries

Participants are from 65 countries with the most from the U.S., China, and India.

Participant Status

235 US citizens and 538 Non-US citizens