LEWISTON — The University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College Office of Community Engagement, the Community Engagement and Diversity Action Group and the USM LAC Student Government Association recently held a Diversity Fair on the Lewiston campus. The event called together community partners, community groups, students, faculty and staff to represent and share a range of cultural, ideological, religious, political and community views and experiences.

The Diversity Fair was not only an effort to encourage and embrace the diversity in the greater Lewiston-Auburn community as well as Maine, but also was an opportunity for community partners and students to connect around common interests and opportunities. More than 100 students took advantage of the opportunity to socialize and network with local organizations.

Many community partners found recruits to meet their organizational needs including volunteer and paid work. Parivash Rohani, an attendee representing the Baha’i community, stated, “By celebrating the diversity in our community we found that we have many things in common that cause us to bind together rather than be separated.”

CEDAG works with other campus groups on the Lewiston campus and throughout USM to regularly advocate strengthening diversity and a sense of community and inclusion both on campus and off. Other events sponsored by this group included hosting a panel discussion on economic justice and economic opportunity, a screening of the Question One film with the director present and a “community conversation” about the celebration of holidays on campus.

They have planned several upcoming events as well, including assisting with a legislative candidate’s forum on campus. For more information about CEDAG, contact Michelle Vazquez Jacobus in the Office of Community Engagement at 753-6547 or [email protected].