Sheri Watkins

LCC visits Berlin for Cultural Care’s International Summit!

Posted by: swatkins on November 20, 2009

LOCAL CHILDCARE COORDINATOR, SHERI WATKINS, ATTENDS CULTURAL CARE AU PAIR INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT IN BERLIN, GERMANY

In honor of the 20 year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall

 Columbus, OH, Nov. 18, 2009 - Dublin resident Sheri Watkins was recently invited to join more than 75 of her peers at an international summit in Berlin, Germany, hosted by Cultural Care Au Pair.  Watkins is a Cultural Care Au Pair local childcare coordinator for NW Columbus and surrounding suburbs.

As a local childcare coordinator, Sheri Watkins supports area families who are currently hosting an international au pair in their home, as well as the au pairs themselves. Watkins earned her invitation to the summit by expanding the program in Ohio in the previous year, as well as for her role as a local community resource for parents interested in intercultural childcare.

The group was in Berlin for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a fitting venue for the celebration of Cultural Care Au Pair’s 20 years of providing a childcare and cultural exchange program for American families. “It was fascinating to be part of the celebrations and hear from Berliners about what it was like before the wall came down,” says Watkins. “It’s incredible to think that just 20 years ago, it would not have been possible for some of my German au pairs to come to the United States. The dismantling of the wall shattered cultural and travel barriers for them. ”

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, also in Berlin for the celebration, spoke at the U.S. Embassy. “It is such a great personal privilege to be joining with the German people, and people throughout Europe and the world, to celebrate this occasion…to commemorate that day 20 years ago when the Berlin Wall gave way to a new era of peace in a united Germany, in a united Europe…We’re celebrating the triumph of democracy and freedom, and the important role of the German-U.S. relationship.”

Sheri Watkins is a member of a nationwide network of more than 600 local childcare coordinators dedicated to promoting global understanding through intercultural childcare.  In addition to supporting a local group of host families and their au pairs, she organizes social activities throughout the program year, advises au pairs on educational opportunities in the community and provides advice on intercultural exchange. Watkins and her colleagues use the conference as an opportunity to network with other coordinators and collaborate on the most effective means to support their families and au pairs locally, ensuring a positive experience for everyone involved with the program. 

Watkins is currently matching area parents who are interested in hosting an au pair with available au pairs from around the world.  She can be contacted at 614-204-5693 for additional information on the Cultural Care Au Pair program. Interested families may also visit Watkins’s web site at swatkins.aupairnews.com. 

Cultural Care Au Pair is the leading provider of intercultural childcare and educational exchange. Since 1989, Cultural Care Au Pair has placed more than 70,000 au pairs in welcoming American homes. A U.S. Department of State regulated program, Cultural Care Au Pair is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., with an extensive network of recruitment, screening and orientation offices worldwide. For more information about hosting an au pair, visit www.culturalcare.com or call 800-333-6056.