More than 300 area youngsters attended the annual York College geography fair on Friday, filling the Mackey Center with laughter and learning as they “toured” 10 countries. The event is the final project of the cultural geography class hosted by Christi Lones, assistant professor of history.

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College students spend weeks preparing for the event, researching the language, food, clothing, music and traditions of the countries they chose. It is a great exercise in research, teamwork and presentation, as they demonstrate their knowledge and collaborative work by sharing with visiting children, said Lones.

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​Different countries are represented each year during the geography fair. Countries included this year were Swaziland, Hong Kong, Israel, Colombia, Finland, Sweden, Ghana, Russia, Tonga, and Cayman Islands. Children attending the fair sampled traditional foods and played games while learning fun facts and a few words in the native languages of each country. At each spot, youngsters got their event passports stamped--perhaps instilling in them a desire to travel and to get stamps in a real passport one day.