UB staff, alumni and domestic students are being recruited to serve as cultural partners for newly arrived international students during the fall 2018 semester as part of the International Student Mentoring Program.

Participants need not know about other cultures, speak other languages or have traveled overseas.

Each cultural partner will be paired with two newly arrived international students, and the commitment is for one semester. Partners must be available to meet with their students for one hour every two weeks. The activity can be as simple as having lunch together, going for coffee or taking a walk, or as elaborate as visiting a local tourist attraction, going to a sports event or having a family dinner in one’s home.

A half-day orientation session — including lunch — will take place for all participants on Sept. 15. Cultural partners will learn about their students’ culture or cultures, receive valuable information about campus resources available to international students and learn tips on how to best interact with someone from another country.

The International Student Mentoring Program is being sponsored by the offices of International Student Services and Counseling Services. Applications can be found online.

Questions about the program may be directed to Caitlin Rioux, international student inclusion and engagement program coordinator in the Office of International Student Services.