Sponsored by
Clarkson University | SUNY
Potsdam | Village of Potsdam
History
A
Historical Perspective
Project
Description/Mission
The "World in Potsdam" (WIP) Diversity Festival continues to
be a very successful community celebration of the many cultures in the
North Country. The “World in Potsdam” Diversity Festival
Committee was formed in 1991 with the belief that the Potsdam Community
should celebrate its unique and diverse cultural profile and learn to
appreciate each other’s heritage through music, dance, arts, storytelling,
food and religious services. The Festival offers North Country
residents the opportunity to experience the vibrant artistic expression
of cultures generally inaccessible to them. At the same time, the
Festival provides Potsdam’s ethnic population with outside affirmation
of the value, importance and richness of their cultural traditions. WIP
is a collaborative project involving Potsdam community residents, educators,
businesses, artists, students, and government and university administrators.
The mission of “The World in Potsdam” Diversity Festival Committee is to conduct, encourage, promote and support the education of diversity and to foster a greater sense of community through the sponsorship of this yearly event. Before Festival day, members of the community are invited to participate in a literary contest, which focuses on the theme of cultural diversity, and prizes are awarded at the Festival. The Mayor of the Village of Potsdam issues a Proclamation of CommUNITY Day a few days before the Festival. Often, the major entertainment or speakers invited for the Festival perform in the Potsdam schools or at an evening program in the community held before the Festival.
The WIP steering committee, chaired by a staff member of one of the two colleges, oversees the coordination, planning, resource development, marketing and implementation of the Festival. The Festival has involved area businesses, community-based volunteers, volunteer groups, local artists and artisans, and elementary, secondary, and college students, a total of over 350 volunteers each year. In order to include more student participation, the Festival is held later in the fall at either Clarkson University or SUNY Potsdam. Students have participated at the hands-on craft tables and in the preparation of delicious ethnic foods for Festival participants to sample. In addition, they have presented an excellent variety of performances that have included culturally specific fashion shows and dances.
Goals
and Objectives
The Town of Potsdam, a community of about 17,000 people, is located in
rural St. Lawrence County. The combined population of the two schools
of higher education, Clarkson University and SUNY Potsdam, brings the
total population of the Town during the academic year to around 23,000,
approximately one-fifth of the county’s total population. In
our rurally isolated county, Potsdam demographically ranks as the largest
and most ethnically diverse town in the county, with about 30% of the
county’s ethnic population (students and residents) based in the
Town of Potsdam. The heritage of these individuals who live and
attend schools in Potsdam represent over 40 countries outside of the
United States as well as a significant number of Native Americans and
ethnic minorities. As a result, Potsdam has a unique community
profile in our rural area. In an era where “loss of community” is
a national problem, the “World in Potsdam” Diversity Festival
offers a unity in diversity by creating a venue for residents to gain
and develop a better understanding of the world and other cultural resources
through their local community.
The Festival has been successful in bringing together the college population (largely temporary residents) with the more permanent residents of the area in positive and enjoyable interaction. By partaking in this community service project, students and townspeople have the opportunity to meet and develop working and fun relationships through volunteer festival activities. Residents and students have worked in unison on a number of projects: preparing and serving international foods, presenting hands-on craft demonstrations, creating public cultural displays and staffing activities throughout the Festival. In addition, townspeople and students have interacted with each other by participating in the Festival’s dance and performance events.
The Festival, through its artistic presentations, workshops, cultural crafts displays, and demonstrations, provides a relaxed and informal occasion for a unique form of education and enrichment for people whose connection and exposure to other cultures has been limited. It also provides an opportunity for those individuals who have become disassociated with their own cultural heritage to reconnect to their traditions.
The unique partnership between the institutions of higher learning, the community and the municipality has made the “World in Potsdam” Diversity Festival possible. In 1995, the Festival was awarded the Judges Citation in the Media/Institutional Relations Category in the State University of New York Council on University Affairs and Development awards program. The "World in Potsdam” Diversity Festival has been financially supported by the Sweetgrass Foundation, the Village of Potsdam, SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University as well as area businesses through sponsorship and in-kind donations.
Role
of the Partners
As part of the “World in Potsdam” Diversity Festival, the
following partners have assumed these responsibilities. SUNY Potsdam
and Clarkson University provide a financial contribution to the Festival’s
operating expenses, in-kind donations of administrative and managerial
resources, technical support of labor, materials, and the location for
the Festival. The Village of Potsdam contributes funding from their festival
budget and provides administrative and managerial resources, technical
support, fire and rescue squad, and police protection. Area Businesses
provide sponsorship, facilities for cultural displays as well as marketing
and promotional resources. The “World in Potsdam” Diversity
Festival Committee oversees the coordination, planning, resource development,
marketing and implementation of the festival on a community-wide basis. It
also solicits sponsorships from local businesses to support the promotion
of the Festival. In a follow-up meeting after the Festival, committee
members assess the Festival’s strengths and weaknesses. The success
of the Festival is measured by attendance figures, business reports,
individual participation on volunteer committees, and sponsorships.