COEUR d'ALENE - Students and community members can have a global experience without having to set foot outside Coeur d'Alene.

The fifth annual Multicultural Faire is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 19, at Lakes Magnet Middle School, 930 N. 15th St., Coeur d'Alene.

Event coordinator and sixth-grade math teacher Kristin Odenthal said it's an opportunity to learn about how things are done in distant parts of the world.

"Those differences make this country beautiful," Odenthal said. "Having a fair like this can bring understanding and awareness of other people's cultures so students can, hopefully, gain a respect for other people's cultures and where they come from."

Odenthal, of Coeur d'Alene, is in her first year of coordinating the fair. She took over from Dave Eubanks, whom she assisted last year. Her experience in the Peace Corps and teaching abroad in countries such as China and Turkey have created a passion for her to educate others, especially students, about accepting people for who they are, no matter what they look like or where they come from.

"A lot of bullying happens where kids are being made fun of because of their culture or their race, and maybe traditions they have," she said. She said the fair goes along with the anti-bullying theme the Coeur d'Alene School District has been practicing.

"It's basically to experience the cultures we have within our community," she said. "To teach students and people that we come from a diverse country, and we are all immigrants of other countries."

The free event - co-sponsored by the Human Rights Education Institute - will include multicultural art, live music, fun and dancing as well as craft projects and other activities. Vendors of a wide range of ethnic foods will be on site. Booths representing different countries will be set up for presenters to educate attendees about several cultures.