Carleton in partnership with the Old Ottawa South Community is pleased to launch the first official International Thanksgiving Dinner Series October 4-11.
The Carleton University International Student Services Office (ISSO) and First Year Experience Office along with the Old Ottawa South Navigators have been matching host families with international and exchange students for a home cooked meal and traditional celebration. So far, 25 families are participating.
“This is a wonderful cultural exchange,” says Georgina Galloway, Director of Carleton’s ISSO. “Our students have responded with incredible enthusiasm about the generosity of families who have opened up their homes and shared this traditional Canadian experience while our hosts have shared their pleasure in learning about other cultures and being part of an international experience at a local level.”
“We spent a wonderful evening with students from Tanzania who shared all kinds of information about their country, culture, language and how they are experiencing life in Canada,” shared Ruth Stratford. “As we celebrated our Thanksgiving holiday together, it was amazing to see how many things we had in common and also to find how much we could learn from each other. It was great fun giving tips on preparing for an Ottawa winter compared to one in Dar Es Salaam. Lots of laughter was shared with our new baby daughter and we just wanted to express our appreciation for the international connection to Carleton students.”
In addition to the Thanksgiving Dinner Series, the ISSO is coordinating other events to celebrate Thanksgiving such as a hike to enjoy fall colours along the Gatineau trails. The International Student Club at Carleton is also hosting a student dinner over the weekend.
The International Student Services Office (ISSO) is specifically dedicated to internationalization by delivering services for registered international and exchange (incoming/outgoing) students. It supports student success and contributes to positive international experiences by hosting orientation and welcome programs, administering health insurance, providing individual advising or counselling, supporting immigration application procedures, and in developing complementary academic support programs. Global citizenship is at the heart of the ISSO’s student experience: celebrating international understanding and awareness is embraced through the Exchange Student Program offered in 29 countries with 84 partner universities. The ISSO collaborates with the Carleton community to host cultural, social or special events for inter cultural dialogue.
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For more information:
Georgina Galloway
Manager, ISSO
Georgina_galloway@carleton.ca
W: 613-520-2600 ext. 6299
C: 613-203-2523
Lin Moody
Media Relations
Carleton University
613-520-2600 ext. 8705
Friday, October 6, 2006 in News Releases
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