Amherst Global Village Festival, an event to celebrate cultural diversity and promote inclusivity in the community, will be held for the first time at the Amherst Regional Middle School, 170 Chestnut St., on Saturday.

Running from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the free, family-friendly event will have two stages where traditional music and dance will be performed, with local vendors setting up with diverse crafts and products for sale, and food trucks with cuisine from various cultures.

“By fostering a welcoming atmosphere, the Amherst Global Village Festival aims to bring together individuals from all backgrounds, encouraging dialogue and understanding, while highlighting the rich tapestry of global cultures in a fun and engaging environment,” Philip Avila, assistant director of the town’s Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, said in a statement.

Among the performers will be Natyanjali School of Dance, Amherst Area Gospel Choir, ReBelle, Chinese Association of Western Mass (Li Ye), and Lotus Fusion Belly Dance.

During the day, there will be a Linguistic Heritage Celebration featuring language-centered performances, workshops and games, along with a Youth Market spotlighting young entrepreneurs showcasing their creative products and talents, with items for sale in cash-only transactions. In addition, resource tables will highlight town departments and community groups.

A full list of activities is at amherstma.gov/3847/Global-Village-Festival.

The event had been scheduled for the Town Common, but was moved due to wet weather in the forecast. All event performances, vendors and activities will still take place as planned.

The following day will be a townwide cleanup called Amherst Rubbish Roundup. From noon to 2 p.m., volunteers who have signed up will go to meeting points, including Mill River Recreation Area in North Amherst and Groff Park in South Amherst, to remove trash and debris.

Education reflections

In suggesting ways to provide more financial support to the Amherst’s public schools, District 5 Councilor Ana Devlin Gauthier reflected on her own experience at Amherst Regional High School, observing her proposal was based on learning equity, democracy, community and creativity while she being educated there.

Devlin Gauthier referenced some of her educators, including an American Society and Film social course taught by Mark Gerstein, Constitutional Law taught by Tom Fricke, and an Honors Algebra course with June Wilby.

Wilby, she said, met with her once a week after school, helping her to overcome her struggles, allowing her to still be able to recite the quadratic formula. “For me, Miss Wilby looked for a pathway to success instead of doing what she could have done, which is given me a barely earned C and dusted off her hands,” Devlin Gauthier said. “She worked with me finding a new strategy that allowed me to succeed.”

Devlin Gauthier’s proposal has three elements, including creating a joint task force on long-term financial trends and needs at the schools, reducing the amount of money dedicated to capital projects, and changing how money is apportioned to the town, library and schools.

Scholarships

The Amherst Woman’s Club is awarding $2,000 scholarships to two college-bound graduating seniors from Amherst Regional High School.

Criteria and applications are available at the counseling office at the high school. Scholarships will be awarded at the Awards Night before graduation in June.

Amherst Mobile Market wins grant

Amherst Mobile Market is receiving a $1,000 mini-grant from the Food Is Medicine program at the University of Massachusetts, with the money to assist with its mission of providing fresh food and nutritional education to underserved residents.

“The Mobile Market serves a very special and typically excluded population in Amherst,” Rani Parker, vice president of the group’s board of directors, said in a statement. Parker also offered thanks to UMass for its support, being chosen as one of six recipients among 22 applicants.

The multidisciplinary program at UMass aims to advance food security and nutritional education in the region.

“These programs target a mix of youth, vulnerable adults, low-income individuals and families across various towns,” said nutritional epidemiologist Anna Maria Siega-Riz, professor and dean of the School of Public Health and Health Sciences. The mini-grant program represents a collaboration among Food Is Medicine representatives from the School of Public Health, as well as the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing, the Department of Food Science and UMass Dining Services.

Shutesbury project

Shutesbury is receiving a Green Communities Competitive Grant for $44,748 to fund energy conservation measures and LED lighting at Shutesbury Elementary School.

The grant was among more than $7.2 million provided by the state Department of Energy Resources to 42 cities and towns to fund clean energy projects.