On August 3, international Work and Travel participants gathered in downtown Port Clinton, Ohio for an unforgettable Port Clinton Exchange Day 2026 filled with food, games, dancing, community connections, and plenty of Ohio hospitality.
The event brought together approximately seventy international participants from countries including China, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Turkey, Romania, and more. Spirit Cultural Exchange was proud to participate alongside other J-1 sponsors and community partners for an evening designed to showcase the very best of cultural exchange.
Hosted by the local Port Clinton/Lake Erie Islands Community Support Group, of which Spirit Cultural Exchange is a member, the event was part of a series of Exchange Day celebrations taking place across the country. For Work and Travel participants, these events provide an opportunity to experience American communities beyond the workplace while meeting other international participants and making memories together.
A Warm Ohio Welcome
For the evening, downtown Port Clinton transformed into a gathering place for international visitors. The community blocked off a downtown street and filled it with picnic tables, outdoor games, music, food, and plenty of space to dance.
Local community members and organizers came together to welcome the participants, including Mayor Mike, representatives from Shores & Islands Ohio, Rev. Jarrod Schaaf of St. John Lutheran Church and his family, and Ashley Aston from Senator Jon Husted‘s office. Becky Davis from InterExchange also joined the celebration.
Ashley shared a warm welcome with the participants, saying, “I’m so happy to meet all of you and welcome you all to the city of Port Clinton. We’re so happy that you’re here and we hope that you have an incredible summer.”
The evening quickly demonstrated why cultural exchange is about much more than traveling to a new country. It is about people taking the time to meet one another, share their cultures, and create connections that might not otherwise happen.
Eat. Play. Give.
Port Clinton Exchange Day 2026 was organized around three simple ideas: Eat. Play. Give.
The “Eat” portion was easy to enjoy. Participants shared pizza, ice cream, and baked goods provided by the local church while getting to know one another and chatting with community members.
The “Play” portion kept everyone moving. Outdoor games, icebreakers, music from a DJ, trivia, and even a dance contest gave participants plenty of opportunities to mingle. The DJ even invited participants to request songs, promising to play anything he could find!
Participants danced to popular party songs and also shared traditional dances from their home countries. One especially memorable moment came when Romanian and Turkish participants danced their traditional dances together, creating a perfect example of cultural exchange in action.
Toward the end of the evening, Mayor Mike hosted a trivia game and dance contest, with Kroger gift cards awarded as prizes. The celebration was originally scheduled to end at 9 p.m., but the participants were having so much fun (and the DJ was willing to keep playing!) that Mayor Mike extended the party for another hour.
The “Give” portion of the evening offered an opportunity to give back to the local community. Rev. Jarrod Schaaf’s family taught participants how to make peace lilies from pipe cleaners. The handmade flowers will be donated to a local nursing home, and participants could add the word “peace” in their native language to their flowers.
It was a simple activity with a meaningful message: participants weren’t just visitors in the community; they had an opportunity to contribute to it.
The Highlight? A Classic American School Bus!
Of all the activities, there was one clear favorite: the school bus.
A classic yellow American school bus was brought to the event to take participants to a nearby lighthouse. While visiting a lighthouse is certainly a memorable experience, the school bus itself quickly became a highlight for many participants.
For international visitors experiencing the United States through the J-1 Work and Travel program, even everyday American experiences can become exciting cultural discoveries. Riding on a traditional yellow school bus was one of those uniquely American moments that participants were eager to experience.
Discovering Port Clinton and Beyond
Port Clinton is a small harbor town located along Lake Erie and is a popular destination for boating, tourism, and outdoor activities. During the event, Spirit Cultural Exchange staff had the opportunity to talk with participants about their summer plans, travels, and favorite places they hoped to visit in the United States.
One destination came up again and again: Cedar Point. Many participants had already visited the famous amusement park, while others said their Host Employers were planning trips there during the summer.
Participants also shared their travel goals for the rest of their cultural exchange experience. New York City and Miami were popular choices, while Spirit Cultural Exchange staff made a case for another great American city: Chicago!
Participants repeatedly mentioned how friendly the people of Ohio had been throughout their experience. Port Clinton Exchange Day 2026 reinforced that impression by giving participants a chance to connect with local residents in a relaxed, welcoming environment.
And the connections clearly made an impact. The day after the event, one participant who had attended asked whether there would be another party because she wanted another opportunity to meet more participants.
Celebrating What Cultural Exchange Is All About
Port Clinton Exchange Day 2026 was a wonderful reminder of what the BridgeUSA program is designed to encourage: meaningful connections between international visitors and American communities.
For Work and Travel participants, cultural exchange happens in many different ways. It can be learning how to make a peace lily with a local family, dancing to a song from another country, riding an American school bus, sharing pizza with someone from across the world, or simply sitting down and talking with a new friend.
Spirit Cultural Exchange was proud to be part of an evening that brought so many people together. Events like this give J-1 participants the chance to experience the United States from a local perspective while giving communities the opportunity to learn from the diverse cultures their international visitors bring with them.
The result is exactly what cultural exchange should be: people coming together, sharing experiences, giving back, and creating memories that last long after the summer ends.