About the Organization

Although the Pittsburgh Folk Festival started in 1956, it began the highly successful “Around the World in One Day” Program in 1997. As this program grew, the Pittsburgh Folk Festival, Inc., received an increasing number of requests by teachers and educational institutions to be able to offer year-round multicultural programming. As an annual event, the Pittsburgh Folk Festival was not able to adequately support year-round multicultural educational efforts. Therefore, in 2009, realizing the need for providing authentic multicultural experiencs to students and the public year-round, The World Cultures Education Consortium of Western PA, Inc., (WCEC), was formed.

As a sister organization to the Pittsburgh Folk Festival, The Consortium, whose board of directors and ethnic member organizations are all volunteers, will now be the primary sponsor for the festival’s highly successfully “Around the World in One Day” multicultural education program as well as for year-round educational outreach to K-12 schools and the general public. By establishing the WCEC, the member organizations will be able to leverage funding to alleviate the financial burden related to offering year-round multicultural educational programming.

Mission

The mission of the World Cultures Education Consortium of Western Pennsylvania, Inc., is to promote “Cultural appreciation and understanding through education” by offering authentic multicultural educational and cultural activities to schools and the public.

Board of Advisors

Chair
Karen Hall, EdD, ABD
Director E-Learning
Point Park University

Vice Chair
Nadia Morozowich
Director of Industry Segments and Global Marketing
Electrical Sector
Eaton Corporation

Counsel
Kenneth R. Stiles, Esq.
Pittsburgh, PA

Sonya Soutus
Senior Vice President
Public Affairs and Communications
Coca-Cola North America

Roman Hlutkowsky
Senior Vice President
Human Resources
FedEx Corporation

Paul Cindric
Administrator
PA Learners Online

Dr. Vincenne Revilla-Beltran
Director, Project Children LEAD
Point Park University

Sumana Misra-Zets
Director
College & Community Diversity Initiatives
Community College of Allegheny County

For more information on the WCEC, contact us at:

World Cultures Education Consortium, WPA
PO Box 24508
Pittsburgh, PA 15234
412-278-1267