CultureALL

02/06/2026

# 2 — Orchard Place transformed attitudes in just one day.

Damon was a high school student at Orchard Place, where he received academic and counseling services to learn how to self-regulate his behavioral and mental health.

The school brought CultureALL in to facilitate a weeklong series about Africa, hoping to improve intercultural relations among students. On Monday, when CultureALL Ambassador Debi Tettey arrived for her workshop on African country of Togo, Damon's hostility was unmistakable. He rolled his eyes. He slumped in his chair. He muttered nasty comments under his breath. He stormed off to the back of the classroom as far away as he could get and refused to participate.

The other students were drawn to Debi. She showed them photos of her as a child at home in Togo, pounding a mortar and pestle with her siblings so their mom could make couscous. She brought all the ingredients for the class to prepare their own traditional lunch of couscous with chicken and vegetables.

The food smelled delicious, and Damon joined the class to eat some. After lunch they played a game called Ampé. Damon played too. He even smiled.

The next morning, when a new CultureALL Ambassador arrived, Damon greeted her with a big smile from the front row of the classroom. His hand rose, again and again, asking questions. He was eager to listen — not only to her presentation on Kenya, but also to the presentations of the other Ambassadors who visited the rest of the week.

From just that one experience, Damon's attitude toward Africans changed. Because of that, the classroom environment transformed, becoming a more peaceful and positive place for everyone.

Attitudes change quickly when we meet someone whose life experiences are different from our own. When they open up and share a bit of themselves with us, we open up, too. Sometimes, it’s just that simple.

These are the kinds of experiences YOU provide for our community.

31/05/2026

We are proud to participate in Birdies for Charity! Support from the Principal Charity Classic funds cultural programming for up to 1,000 student participants.

The Principal Charity Classic benefits local nonprofit organizations like CultureALL, boosting local communities through interactive storytelling and cultural education.

Add to this gift by donating to CultureALL! Your contribution directly supports our mission to value our differences. We believe that sharing the cultural richness of our community with others will elevate our society and the quality of life for all Iowa residents.

30/05/2026

Support from the Principal Charity Classic funds cultural programming for up to 1,000 students!

We are proud to be a Birdies for Charity participant! The Principal Charity Classic benefits local nonprofit organizations like CultureALL, boosting local communities through interactive storytelling and cultural education.

Add to this gift by donating to CultureALL! Your contribution directly supports our mission to value our differences. We believe that sharing the cultural richness of our community with others will elevate our society and the quality of life for all Iowa residents.

28/05/2026

# 3 — Ballet Des Moines showed thousand of students how to access cultural arts.

The Ballet invited CultureALL onto the main stage for three consecutive years to help students connect with a treasured holiday tradition — the Nutcracker Ballet.

The Nutcracker since its origin in 1892 has represented Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Russian, and Spanish cultures — and some would say: with an imperialistic worldview.

The partnership with CultureALL showed students in today’s changing demographics that they have a place in the arts; that they can express themselves and their heritage through movement.

“Storytelling Through the Art of Dance” offered students a chance to see their cultures represented alongside professional Nutcracker dancers. CultureALL Ambassadors performed Classical Indian Bharatnatyam, Native Hawaiian Hula, Traditional Thai dance, and Japanese Taiko Drums, as well as Latin American Salsa, Mexican Folkloric, and Brazilian Capoeira performances. With each Ambassador, students participated in learning the movements.

20 YEAR COUNTDOWN
Schools have welcomed CultureALL Ambassadors into classrooms for more than 20 years now. These children have become adults and a new generation is coming through. Let’s revisit 20 of these schools — one for each year of service — as we plan and prepare for the NEXT 20 years!

27/05/2026

Meet Ventica Woods, the chef owner of the popular catering business Mama Africa Catering here in Des Moines.

Read the interview by Christina Fernández-Morrow here: CultureALL.org/blog

Ventica Woods is running a business, writing a book, raising 5 children, and opening a restaurant! Her family came to Iowa because they were able to pronounce the name, and she stayed to make it her home. "With healing at the heart of her work, Ventica’s cooking creates opportunities for others to experience her culture and her mission." Visit CultureALL's Blog to read the full article.

Meet Ventica at JOLLOF & JIVE on June 5! The event is free to attend, but you must register at https://events.humanitix.com/dine-and-dance-with-cultureall-at-mama-africa

Jollof & Jive | Dine & Dance with Mama Africa

27/05/2026

Check out the full album and RSVP to the next Dine & Dance event!

Look at these AWESOME photos taken by Marshall Bricker at Dine & Dance with CultureALL. The fifth event of 2026 took place at China Chef f in Des Moines. Guests were treated to a family dinner featuring a one-night-only dessert and special bao buns to take home after working hard in their dance lesson. Thank you to everyone who attended!

Curated by P**c Trinh, 2nd generation owner
Music and performance by VACI Lion Dancers (Vietnamese American Community in Iowa)
Dancing and lesson by Happy Dance Club

Support is provided by the Iowa Arts Council, which exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Thank you!

26/05/2026

THANK YOU to everyone who made this such a wonderful evening of joy and connection, including guests, staff, the team at China Chef and the Iowa Arts Council (Iowa Economic Development Authority).

The full album is in our Photos here on Facebook!

Join us for the next Dine & Dance at CultureALL.org/events

26/05/2026

# 4 — Indianola Middle School students promote and plan culture days.

“A lot of my friends and the students that I’ve talked to are really excited to learn about new cultures and see the different arts and music that they share,” said seventh-grader Emily B., as quoted in the Indianola Independent Advocate. “While organizing, we learn more about their culture,” she said, referring to the CultureALL Ambassadors, “and we learn how to organize an event. We learn how to make slides and teach other students expectations on how to behave” while participating in new experiences.

The 7th grade Gifted and Talented students have organized this tradition for the past 9 years or so. It’s one of the last things they do for their classmates before heading off for summer break.

This year, students will learn more about:

- History of Sikhism while learning to tie a turban
- Jewish family life while hearing about Avram and his Accordion
- African community while keeping the beat on a Djembe drum
- Native American beliefs while connecting old stories to tangible artifacts still used today
- Mexican geography while playing percussion in a guitar band

“We just want the kids to have different experiences and get to enjoy music and things like that, to just see different cultures and see there’s a connection…” said Language Arts teacher Shanice Lloyd in 2024, according to the Indianola Independent Advocate.

Indianola Community School District

20 YEAR COUNTDOWN
Schools have welcomed CultureALL Ambassadors into classrooms for more than 20 years now. These children have become adults and a new generation is coming through. Let’s revisit 20 of these schools — one for each year of service — as we plan and prepare for the NEXT 20 years!

24/05/2026

Running into SO MANY friends was the best part of having our staff outing at CelebrAsian!

Thank you to the Thai Association of Iowa, the Iowa Nepalese Association, the Japan America Society of Iowa, the Vietnamese American Community in Iowa, the Korean-American Society of Iowa KASI 아이오와주 한인회, Iowa Asian Alliance, Iowa Economic Development Authority, and all the other organizations hosting villages and local businesses running stalls and food trucks.

As we wrap up another unforgettable CelebrAsian weekend, we want to say THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts.

To every volunteer, performer, sponsor, supporter, and attendee, thank you for showing up, sharing your time, energy, culture, and love with us. Events like this do not happen without the incredible people working behind the scenes for months and the thousands who come out to celebrate with us.

A special thank you to all the media outlets, reporters, photographers, and storytellers who helped share our event and our stories with the community. Your support helped amplify “The Story of US” and allowed even more people to experience and celebrate the beauty of our cultures together.

This year’s theme, “The Story of US,” truly came to life through every smile, every conversation, every performance, and every shared meal. We are beyond grateful to represent Thai culture alongside so many amazing Asian communities here in Iowa.

Thank you for helping us continue this tradition and for making our community stronger together. We hope you made beautiful memories with us this weekend. Until next year kob khun ka ❤️🇹🇭

Thai Association of Iowa