World cultures came together Sunday in Escanaba’s Ludington Park. The cooler weather for the students was a bit challenging; however, they overcame while tasting new foods such as macaroni and cheese for the first time. Some wonderful families have welcomed Kristina Plsekova from Slovakia, Helena Tari-Rabasco and Alba Muniz-Iglesias from Spain, Benedetta Curcio and Laura Zoli from Italy and Marleen Giese and Marie-Lou Koziol from Germany. Muniz-Iglesias is attending Gwinn High School and Giese is at Niagara High School in Wisconsin; the rest are at Gladstone High School. From left, in front are Muniz-Iglesias, Curcio, Zoli and Giese; in back are Plsekova, Koziol and Tari-Rabasco. These international exchange students recently arrived in the U.P. and are trying lots of new experiences such as watching a football game, tasting Taco Bell for the first time and peanut butter. Some students have cooked up cuisine from their home countries for their host families. Melissa Carpenter, regional representative for International Culture Exchange Services, looks forward to watching them continue to experience new adventures in the Upper Peninsula while leaving great light with their host families and communities. For more information on how to help, contact Carpenter, mcarpenter@icesusa.org.