Peer mentor picnic brings international students together
On Friday, June 21, 2024, the International Peer Mentor (IPM) program held a midday picnic at Ryan Farm Park near Algonquin’s Woodroffe campus. Around 20 international students attended the picnic, enjoying the warm weather and company of their peers.
The event aimed to provide a welcome break from academics, helping international students connect with each other and build relationships and reduce stress.
The IPM program connects international students with each other and provides support during their transition to Canada.
The mentors organized the picnic as part of ongoing efforts to foster a sense of community among IPM participants.The team ran a variety of activities for the picnic, including a footrace, painting, dancing, badminton and Ono cards. A smorgasbord of food, including meat and vegetarian sandwiches, soda, cookies, chips and fruit was served.
“I love being part of this group,” said Ece Kaplan, a fitness and health international student at Algonquin College.
Kaplan, who recently joined the IPM program, had come from Turkey to Canada on her own. While she initially had few friends, she has now made many, thanks to the program’s supportive community.
“They’re the reason I never feel foreign or out of place,” Kaplan said.
She shared a traditional Turkish dance called dabke at the picnic. She was surprised to find that some of the Lebanese students shared the same dance with the same name and similar moves.
Yomeng Liu, a Chinese international student studying respiratory therapy, has been in Canada for two months. She likes the IPM program, and enjoyed the picnic’s footrace in particular.
The IPM program gives Liu an opportunity to connect with others from her home country and share her culture with the international student community.
“We had a deep talk about religions and women’s rights,” Liu said.
“Now I feel like I’m home with family.”
Mohamed Taous, an Algerian international student who works as a lead mentor in the IPM program, said that he applied for the role because “I liked the program and I wanted to help new students, the same way my mentor helped me in my first semester.”
Taous chose to host a picnic because he wanted to give students a chance to enjoy the nice weather after being cooped up at indoor college events.
“I discussed this idea with my coordinator Leah Grimes and other mentors,” Taous said. “They liked it, so we planned the event and informed the other mentees and mentors through our WhatsApp group.”
Despite the important role the IPM program plays in supporting international students, it has faced some logistical challenges this semester. The program has a limited capacity of around 100 participants.
“It’s a lot to manage logistically,” said Grimes, who mentors Taous and others as an intercultural programming and support officer with the international education centre at Algonquin College.
The program is working to reach out to more of Algonquin College’s international student population, which numbers over 3,000.
“We’re actively working to expand the program’s reach and connect with more of the international students,” Grimes said.
