Activities

Did you grow up hearing or speaking Spanish at home? Did you hear Spanish from your parents, grandparents or other family members since you were very young? If you were exposed to Spanish at home while growing up, then you probably are a heritage learner. Most heritage learners have a great understanding of their cultural heritage, but there are a wide variety of heritage learners in terms of proficiency, language dominance and language use.  In this video, you will hear from some of our students and learn about our Spanish classes that have been designed specifically for students who grew up hearing or speaking Spanish at home.

Did you know that the University of Texas at Austin Libraries has a nationally-unique collection of popular and pulp fiction in the regional languages of South Asia? Have you ever wondered what makes it into library collections, and how? Watch a short video to learn about the efforts of Darsana Manayathu Sasi (UT Austin Malayalam Lecturer), Mary Rader (UT Austin South Asia Librarian), and Laura Brueck (Associate Professor of Asian Studies, Northwestern University) to bring an academic focus onto Indian and Pakistani pulp fiction while building a unique library collection.

Watch a short video highlighting the strengths of programs, events, and resources offered by the South Asia Institute (SAI) at UT Austin. With over 60 core and affiliated faculty members in more than 15 departments, UT Austin hosts the largest, longest standing interdisciplinary South Asia program in the southwestern United States. As a National Resource Center for South Asia with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, SAI brings the Austin community South Asia focused K-12 resources; cultural events in dance, music and film; academic seminars and conferences; and support for undergraduate and graduate students. SAI connects Austin to the complex cultures, histories, and languages of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Do you have a passion for world languages and want to get paid to study Europe and European cultures? The Center for European Studies can help you. Every year, the CES invites undergraduate (and graduate) students from all majors and disciplines across the 40 Acres to apply for Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowships. FLAS fellowships allow you to study European topics and over 18 foreign languages while providing $10,000 toward UT Austin tuition AND a cash stipend. You can even use these funds toward an education abroad program and explore Europe. This brief video will show you how to apply for the FLAS fellowship, explain its benefits, and features information from recent UT Austin alumni on how the FLAS fellowship has helped them advance their professional careers.

The Center for European Studies offers an interdisciplinary major and minor in the study of Western and Central Europe. This video will offer a brief overview of the EUS major and minor, highlight our variety of course offerings across UT departments and colleges, as well as the education abroad opportunities the EUS major offers. 

Hallo! If you are curious about the German language or interested in learning German at UT, this is the place to be (at least during the pandemic).  We will tell you everything about our language program(s); we will introduce you to some of the benefits of speaking a foreign language, and we share samples of all the fun you can have when learning to see the world through the lens of another language.

Follow Hermes (a.k.a. Dr. Todd Curtis) on a virtual tour of some of the most interesting Greek and Roman mythological figures found on UT’s campus. The presentation will consider the symbolism and myths behind the statues and building decorations that make UT a very classical place.

Dr. Olla Al-Shalchi, the Arabic Program Coordinator at UT Austin, teaches you about the Arabic language! In this short video, you’ll learn what the Arabic alphabet looks like, where Arabic is spoken, and a few common Arabic names and what they look like written in Arabic. You can try your hand at writing Arabic letters in your notebook!

Dr. Babak Tabarraee, the Persian Program Coordinator at UT Austin, teaches you all about the Iranian New Year, known in Persian as Nowruz! You’ll learn about how Iranians celebrate their New Year, when the celebrations take place, and important words in Persian related to this topic, such as haftsin, chaharshanbeh-suri, and sizdah beh dar.

Welcome! Let’s take some time to learn more about the rich culture and language of Russia. Russian language can be intimidating, but with this preview of our innovative Online Russian curriculum, you too can learn Cyrillic in 20 minutes and will be reading in Russian in no time!

Discover the world of archeology with this introduction to the Texas Archeological Research Lab (TARL).  Marybeth Tomka, Head of TARL Collections, shares an inside look at materials from caves and rock shelters that were protected by the hot and dry climate in the southwestern part of Texas and only preserved by the unique environmental conditions.

Discover how Pakistan’s colorful aesthetics are often expressed through decorations and the creative ways truck drivers in Pakistan decorate their trucks with colorful kaleidoscopic designs. Learn how drivers personalize their trucks with fantastic artwork and how to recreate these kaleidoscopic truck art designs using craft items you have at home in your tinker trays.

Explore the creative world of Rangoli, a popular form of Indian folk art in which colorful patterns are created to welcome guests into homes on festive occasions and to bring good luck to the host family.  Learn how to recreate India’s geometric Rangoli designs using sequins, beads, mirror tiles, stick-on foam shapes and other craft items, and create a decorative, Rangoli welcome for your home.

Welcome to the South Asia Garden, a living classroom where students of all ages can learn about South Asian cultures, sustainable food production, healthy eating, and the global histories of vegetables, herbs, and fruits common to South Asian foodways. The garden, established with a UT Austin Green Fund grant, is a collaboration between University Housing and Dining’s UT Farm Stand and the South Asia Institute. The garden is located behind the Brackenridge residence hall near Waller Creek, on the ancestral lands of Lipan Apache, Tonkawa, Comanche and other First Peoples. In this short video, you will learn about the making of the garden and some of the herbs, vegetables, and fruits that grow there.

Discover the wicked wit of Jane Austen in this dramatic, and fun, reading of the opening chapter of her 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice.   The reading will use the original text with UT freshmen, Raishma Kazi and Tucker Rinne, portraying Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Bennet while English Professor Janine Barchas serves as narrator. This is the stuff of great literature, served straight up – albeit with funny hats.

Hej! Hei! Hallå! Can you believe you already know some Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish? It’s true! These three Scandinavian languages have a close proximity to English, making them easy languages to learn for native English speakers - starting with instantly recognizable words such as kaffe (coffee), democrati (democracy) and natur (nature). Join us as we introduce you to all things Scandinavian, including funny language tidbits, captivating culture topics, as well as what it means to study Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish at the University of Texas at Austin.

Follow autorickshaws around Jaffna, Sri Lanka, and learn about how their drivers elaborately decorate them to express themselves and Tamil culture and history. Asian Studies PhD candidate daniel dillon leads us through the pop culture and political references found on autorickshaws as an expressive cultural form.

Join us as we explore the different paths that led staff to a career at the Harry Ransom Center. From archival work to business administration, dozens of professionals work together daily to advance the study of the arts and the humanities at The University of Texas at Austin. In this series of short interviews, we learn about the different paths that led staff to a profession in the humanities, and the experiences that have shaped their lives along the way. Staff members share their backgrounds in education, and offer advice to those interested in pursuing a career in museums or higher education.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to live in a different city, state or country? Join representatives from the BBA International Programs Office to explore the opportunities to study abroad.  From Hong Kong to Paris, you will get the chance to experience the world through our eyes as we share stories of our travels and adventures. This live, interactive session includes a question and answer opportunity with students who studied abroad.

Texas McCombs’ Social Innovation Initiative (SII) trains future leaders to drive social and environmental impact through business in any career. This interactive session will introduce teenagers and young adults to various impact tools that the SII teaches, such as social entrepreneurship and impact investing. They will also learn about the sustainability programming and classes that McCombs offers, and have a chance to speak to current students about their experience.

Join student members from the UT Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) to discover the difference between different business majors and to learn how each major can be applied in the context of a lemonade stand business.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to live in a different city, state or country? Join representatives from the BBA International Programs Office to explore the opportunities to study abroad.  From Hong Kong to Paris, you will get the chance to experience the world through our eyes as we share stories of our travels and adventures. This live, interactive session includes a question and answer opportunity with students who studied abroad. 

Join members of the Bilingual Education Student Organization (BESO) to play Lotería, a traditional game of chance. You can learn about Mexican culture while having fun and showing your competitive side. Lotería is a game, similar to bingo, that encourages you to make new friends and helps you get to know others better. Get ready to have fun with BESO.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to live in a different city, state or country? Join representatives from the BBA International Programs Office to explore the opportunities to study abroad.  From Hong Kong to Paris, you will get the chance to experience the world through our eyes as we share stories of our travels and adventures. This live, interactive session includes a question and answer opportunity with students who studied abroad. 

Join us to learn about blockchain, a specific type of database used to manage cryptocurrency. Most of our networks today are centralized by design. However, central servers are prone to cyber-attacks. Learn how the underlying blockchain technology works and discover the the numerous ways this ledger is used to protect and encapsulate data.

At the McCombs Leadership Program, we emphasize the importance of building a well-rounded individual who can work with others to build a better community. Whether you are a student moving from middle to high school, or from high school to college, it is important to take care of your mental well-being. In this event, we will discuss mental health tips and how to identify and deal with mental fatigue, especially in periods of transition. Hear from current UT students and learn how the McCombs Leadership Program supports its members to build community.

Students from all disciplines — from art to aerospace engineering to accounting — participate in UT’s world-changing research. Learn what undergraduate research looks like and how it benefits students at this discussion and Q&A.

Texas McCombs’ Social Innovation Initiative (SII) trains future leaders to drive social and environmental impact through business in any career. This interactive session will introduce teenagers and young adults to various impact tools that the SII teaches, such as social entrepreneurship and impact investing. Participants will also learn about sustainability programming classes offered in the McCombs School and will have the opportunity to speak with current students about their experiences.

Join members of the Bilingual Education Student Organization (BESO) to play Lotería, a traditional game of chance.  You can learn about Mexican culture while having fun and showing your competitive side.  Lotería is a game, similar to bingo, that encourages you to make new friends and helps you get to know others better.  Get ready to have fun with BESO. 

For the fourth year in a row, TEDxUTAustin presents Austin's largest university TEDx event! TEDxUTAustin 2021 - Unmute is about breaking the silence to amplify new innovations, perspectives, and initiatives that address our rapidly changing world, and encouraging others to follow suit. The virtual interactive conference will showcase an immersive lineup featuring student leaders, professors, and Austin community members.

Spin the wheel of fortune to determine your future. With each spin, a new exercise activity will be provided to give you rest from your chair. A wide variety of exercises will be available for students and families to perform with our wheel of fortune.

Join members of the Minorities in Education student organization for a science experiement you won't want to miss. Inspired by the Dr. Seuss book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck, you'll learn to use using three staple household ingredients to create a non-newtonian fluid that changes states of matter depending on the pressure applied.

On and off the field, athletic trainers play an important role in supporting the health of athletes. Join athletic training students to learn about the primary components of a concussion assessment and other tools that are a part of the Athletic Training profession. We hope you will discover more about what goes on behind the scenes of a game, match, meet, or event. Come prepared with questions. 

As one of the country's leading business schools, the McCombs School of Business offers exceptional resources and opportunities. Representatives of the business school will be on hand to discuss freshman admission, and current business students will share their stories on the career management, study abroad, and leadership opportunities available within the school.

Texas McCombs’ Social Innovation Initiative (SII) trains future leaders to drive social and environmental impact through business in any career. This interactive session will introduce teenagers and young adults to various impact tools that the SII teaches, such as social entrepreneurship and impact investing. Participants will also learn about sustainability programming classes offered in the McCombs School and will have the opportunity to speak with current students about their experiences.