Visiting Students Become Local Volunteers

November 6 , 2009 Visiting international students at The University of Mississippi are taking full advantage of their stay in Oxford by getting involved in the community.

Exchange students are participating in Leap Frog, an Oxford-based non-profit for local children who are considered by their teachers to be at risk for falling behind in academics.

The program, which serves more than 90 students in the Lafayette County and Oxford school districts, is offered four days a week at local church activity centers.

"We have several international students," said program coordinator Rebecca Hare. "There are a few that do tutoring and there are some that come for enrichment. They're great with the kids."

Ainur Khassen, business major and exchange student from Kazakhstan, serves as an enrichment volunteer and said she really enjoys the time she's spending with the area children.

"We play different games with them and draw pictures," Khassen said. "When it's raining outside we stay inside and play indoor games. When the weather is good, we play games like basketball or swing on the swing set."

Business and English major Huan Zhang, who is UM through his study at Liverpool Hope University, also said he enjoys being an enrichment volunteer.

"We're here to play with them. It's about talking to the kids," Zhang said. "I like being able to act their age. It's a fun time."

But it's not just exchange students getting involved. Now in its second year, "Community Connections," a component of the UM Intensive English Program, gets students into the community through service-related activities.

In the past the participants have greeted visitors for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Debate, helped with animal rescue efforts, and assisted at the Pantry, a local volunteer organization that provides needy families with food and necessities.

Another outlet, World Passport Day, was created to provide information about students' home countries to elementary children in a fun and engaging manner. The program was so successful at Oxford Elementary School last year that this year's course is dedicated entirely to school visits. Students are making regular trips to two local schools, as well as libraries, the Oxploratorium, and INSIGHTS classes.

Liberal Arts major Lizdaimar López said INSIGHTS has been a great experience for her.

"When I started classes in the IEP I thought it was going to be only reading textbooks and tons of homework, but it wasn't. Professor Koslowski had the wonderful idea of taking us to visit those kids and I was really surprised after the first day," López said. "We had a direct contact with the American culture, and what we learned from those kids probably wouldn't be possible to get in a class."

She said the children asked her and other international students questions about the governments and religions of their countries.

"The way they express themselves is fascinating and their questions about our countries really surprised me," López said. "Going to INSIGHTS is one of the best ways for an international student to have a real contact with the American culture."

As a group activity, the students teamed up with the Office of International Programs to participate in the Ole Miss Homecoming Parade and will sponsor a float in the upcoming Christmas Parade. They also worked as volunteers at Bramlett Elementary's Octoberfest, a school-sponsored event held each Halloween for children and families.

One of their biggest service projects this semester will be a canned food drive on November 13 and 14 benefiting The Pantry. The Intensive English Program and Office of International Programs students will collect non-perishable food items in front of the Student Union both days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To find out more about the UM Intensive English Program, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/iep. For more information about Leap Frog, visit http://www.theleapfrogprogram.org/. More is available on The Pantry at http://www.unitedwayoxfordms.org/.

Vanessa Cook