The counterpart of an exhibit open in Germany will open this afternoon in the lower level of the Gabel Hall Learning Center.

There will be a reception from 3 to 5 p.m. to mark the official opening of the “United Colors For America” exhibit in the learning center.

The exhibit was put together by NIU graduate students under the direction of a few faculty members.

Pete West, assistant director of the learning center, said the exhibit is an “overview of the idea of diversity in education in the United States.”

The exhibit focuses on five different cultures. They are African-American, Hispanic, German-American, Native American and Asian.

“It’s a visual reminder of how their cultures have blended into the U.S. educational environment and continued to keep their own,” West said.

There will be various stations that focus on each culture where photographs will be displayed and students can pick up handouts, said Janette Heinish, who is in charge of external programming for the College of Education.

West added that there also will be historical teaching tools such as the evolution of textbooks on display.

The exhibit is “making an effort to focus on the idea of unity in diversity,” West said. “It’s for different ethnic groups to understand their cultural background, and maybe even more important for other students to understand the various cultures.”

The exhibit is expected to be at NIU for over a month. “We expect it to be open through February,” West said.