Missoula may not be an international hub that crackles with cultural diversity and the exotic lilt of a global community. Nevertheless, the classrooms of Hellgate High School are alive with the sounds of foreign languages and the study of faraway lands. It’s a welcome and exciting boom, said Michal Malouf, a Hellgate Spanish teacher. With a huge grin on her face, Malouf explained: “We have a cast of thousands this year in our language classes.” Her statement rang true on Monday afternoon when the school’s language wing was abuzz with Spanish lessons under way on one side, and Arabic lessons on the other.

From August 3-5, 2012, Solutions!, a Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program alumni association in Ukraine, hosted a Sustainability Summit to build awareness about sustainability initiatives in Ukraine. This three-day educational event, organized in conjunction with the Ukrainian non-governmental organization (NGO) Greencubator, was held along the beaches of the Azov Sea in the Crimean town of Shcholkine, Ukraine. The Summit brought together 109 participants to discuss the relationship between alternative energy patterns and grassroots community development in Ukraine.