Dashew International Center Programs
Offer Opportunities for Global Connections
By Patricia Turner

As you may know, the Dashew International Center for Students and Scholars provides programming for UCLA's international community. Our programs are designed to support international students as they pursue their academic careers in Los Angeles by providing many of the social and educational resources essential to adjusting to life in a new country. The Dashew International Center would like to take this opportunity to tell you about some exciting new programs which might interest some of you and the students whom you advise.

Volunteer Opportunities - The Dashew International Center offers a number of opportunities to the UCLA and Los Angeles community, and we are currently recruiting volunteers for many of our programs. One of them is the International Connections Program (ICP), a cross-cultural exchange program whose goal is to build bridges between students and the community by matching international students with domestic "ambassadors." We are also accepting applications for our English as a Second Language Instructor Training Program. In March, we will begin recruiting volunteers for DICOP, the Dashew International Center Orientation Program for new, incoming international students. There is also ongoing recruitment for people that would like to host cross-cultural dinners and holiday dinners for international students. For more information about volunteer opportunities or general questions regarding the Center and our programs, please contact Director of Programs Marcelo Mitnik at mmitnik@saonet.ucla.edu.

Dashew International Center Orientation Program (DICOP) - This past summer, The Dashew International Center organized one of its most successful new-student orientations ever, with nearly half of all new, incoming international students attending. Students received airport pick-up, enjoyed tours of Los Angeles attractions, including a day-long trip to Catalina Island, and attended workshops on a variety of topics, such as Money and Banking, Health Insurance, UCLA Computer Services and Fellowships and Grants. For more information about DICOP, please contact Reyna Alorro at ralorro@saonet.ucla.edu.

English Programs - Our One-on-One Tutoring Program, a fee-for-service tutoring program launched last year, continues to provide individualized tutoring services to UCLA's graduate students and scholars. All tutors are graduate students trained in English as a Second Language pedagogy. This quarter, we are continuing to offer our English Conversation Program (ECP). ECP is an eight-week conversation course that provides students with English conversation practice and instruction at convenient locations and times. We are currently offering 17 classes; our next session begins on April 11th. This past summer, we also launched a new English program -- the Intensive Language Program, a week-long course of intensive English classes designed to help new, incoming international students make the transition to an English-speaking country. For more information about the Dashew Center's English Programs, please contact Patricia Turner at pturner@saonet.ucla.edu or Reyna Alorro at ralorro@saonet.ucla.edu.

International Connections Program (ICP) - This year, we have greatly expanded our International Connections Program and have over 300 international students and community ambassadors involved this year. Should you be interested in serving as an ambassador or know of international students who would like to have a connection with another UCLA student or a member of the community, please contact Reyna Alorro at ralorro@saonet.ucla.edu.

Social Events - We also offer a number of social events designed to give students much-needed social and recreational opportunities. Discovering LA invites students to take advantage of the many attractions that LA has to offer. Recent offerings have included museum visits, cultural events, theater plays and musicals, and sporting events. The International Food Club provides students with opportunities to taste the foods of different countries (recent events have included a French Crepe Night and a Taiwanese Dumpling Night). This spring quarter the International Food Club calendar will feature two series on Authentic Mexican Cooking with two very talented chefs. The International Film Club brings students together to screen films from around the world. If you have questions about these programs, please contact Dutta Hailemariam at world@saonet.ucla.edu.

International Language Clubs - Last spring we re-designed our International Language Clubs Program and are now offering three language clubs where all meetings are conducted in the language of the club. The French Café, the Japanese Club and the Spanish Club are all run by volunteers who are either native speakers or highly proficient non-native speakers of the language of the club. Participants in the clubs enjoy the opportunity to share cultures and practice their language skills. For more information, please contact Patricia Turner at pturner@saonet.ucla.edu.

Workshops and Conferences - Each quarter, the Dashew International Center offers a number of Conferences and Workshops on topics of interest to international students. Last quarter, we offered a leadership seminar and a workshop on fellowship applications for graduate students. This quarter we are co-sponsoring with the UCLA Career Center two panel presentations on internships opportunities for international students. Questions about Workshops at Conferences may be directed to Dutta Hailemariam at world@saonet.ucla.edu.