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Tina Quick Recruit and Retain Preferred Practice

For this year’s Annual Conference, Keynote Speaker Tina Quick asked conference attendees to take a moment and think about international student transitions throught-out the academic cycle. More specifically, she wanted everyone to think of a student’s transition abroad to a new country, culture and community. Here are some suggestions from attendees at our conference, who work with international students exchange programs and schools, about preferred practices to help international students and host families in their transition. 

 International Student Programning- Preferred Practices Ideas from 2017 CSIET Conference Attendees

Education and Training  Counseling Services Finding Community
  • “I visit schools and give cultural training to domestic students so they can advocate for the international students and build bridges” – Madeleine Golda
  • “Transition Strategy: Ask students to create a map of their community. It will push them to get to know their surroundings where services (shops, parks, hangouts) are, and will help them to create”
  • “Using movies to help explain cross cultural challenges i.e. “Outsourced” and “Gung Ho” ( Can also be used in Finding Community)
  • “Asking return students to train incoming and outgoing students– Peers speak the language– They have ‘walked the talk'” (can also be used in Finding Community)
  • “We have a counceler on staff that the students can have access to whenever necessary”
  • “AFS provides each student / host family with a liason. One World Area Team in Indiana and S. Michigan is purposeful in having liaisons form bonds with students so that they feel comfortable confiding problems to liaisons”
  • “Having coaches following up with students”
  • “We have monthly lunches. Each month we go to a new resturant representing the different cultures of our employees”
  • “Introducing students to community service through active participation”
  • “Creating bonds within their new communities. By getting out and being visible in their neighboorhood or town. They will feel less foreign and more accepted by the community”
  • “Our highschool created a ‘Cultural Crew’. We would match each international student with a ‘local’ student. They are a resource for information as well as encouragement to socialize”
  • “Coordinators in my region are encouraged to organize interested community members into a support network for students, called their FAN club (Friends of Ayusa Network”
  • “Created an ‘affinity” group for international students who meet monthly”