2 August 2006
Monash University is seeking volunteers from the City of Monash community to take part in an exciting new program designed to enhance the experience of the university's international students.
The International Student Friendship Program, being piloted for 12 months at the Clayton campus, aims to match about 150 students with volunteers from the community.
Project Manager Ms Jennifer Weber, from University Community Services, said the volunteers would provide friendship and support, as well as information on community resources and opportunities for participation in local community events.
"That could mean meeting up with the students for a cup of coffee and a chat, or sometimes inviting the students into their homes to share meals with their family." Ms Weber said. The volunteers would need to be available on a regular basis, she said.
"This is not a mentoring program. It's more about getting international students to engage with the community at large, to let them experience Australian life. We want them to feel that they are being welcomed into the community."
Ms Weber said research into the wellbeing of international students had shown 41 per cent have difficulty adjusting to living and studying in Melbourne. Providing them with opportunities to mix with locals, use English off campus and feel connected with the wider community were the key factors in achieving a successful adjustment, the research found.
Ms Weber is seeking to recruit volunteers from not only the Clayton community but also through Monash University's post-graduate student and alumni networks.
The community-based Monash Volunteer Resource Centre is screening volunteers and providing initial volunteer training. Representatives from community groups that already provide support to Monash's international students are being invited to sit on the project's steering committee.
At the conclusion of the Clayton pilot, a six-month pilot will be held at the Caulfield campus.
For more information contact the project coordinator, Renee De Simone, on 9905 3186, or renee.simone@adm.monash.edu.au, or Ms Penny Fannin, Media Communications, on + 61 3 9905 5828.
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