We're Off to a Busy Start!

Our Reach volunteers have been super busy! Here are some of the things they've been up to:

Wednesday, September 18th- Ana Porras gave a presentation at LaFollette high school about Colombian geography and culture.

Thursday 9/19- Sunday 9/21 several of our volunteers helped out at Madison's 10th Annual World Music Festival by introducing some of the bands. Shout out to Cecilia Wester, Jeanne Essame, Meareg Amare, Lily Khadempour, Maria Sonia Ares Gomez, and Blanca Llodra for doing an awesome job!

Jeanne introducing Christine Salem

We also have a ton of exciting upcoming events!
On October 8th from 5:30-7:00pm we're having a training social! Come join us for free food, fun, and a great, interactive presentation on intercultural dialogue.

WUD Global Connections is doing an educational event on October 16th. The event will be a discussion on Egypt/ Syria and will feature a panel of American and international students to give their opinions, experiences, and thoughts of the issue.

They are doing a similar event November 14th but with a focus on Israel/ Palestine

November 14th is also World Languages Day! Several of our volunteers are participating by doing an engaging presentation in front of 50 high schools students.

We're also looking to bring back Storytime! We ask for volunteers to read a story from their own childhood to Madison's kids. If you're interested email reach@studentlife.wisc.edu for more details!

See you all soon!

Presentation Tips 

Ensuring a Great Presentation in the First 60 Seconds
(Excerpts from an article entitled "Nailing a Great Presentation in the First 60 Seconds" by Bruce Kasanoff - http://tinyurl.com/nswtnf2) 

Whether you are making a presentation at your local library or to senior executives at your firm, the first 60 seconds set you up for success or failure.

The first 60 seconds you spend in front of an audience are pivotal. If you're nervous or too excited, time can be a blur. But this is when the audience decides whether or not they like you, and it's your best opportunity to get in a groove that will guide you through the rest of your presentation.

Here are some suggestions:

• Plan your opening in advance. You should know exactly how you are going to open your speech. Just as people do when meeting a stranger, audiences will notice your body language, confidence level and demeanor. Don't just focus on what you will say; practice your movements and tone. Look for ways to signal that you are a person with a valuable message to share.
• If at all possible, prepare the room in advance to your liking. If you like to move around, give yourself room to move. If you feel more comfortable in one place, set up any aids (water, notes, clicker...) so they are easy to access. Make sure the lighting is right. The worst thing you can do is to step in front and start fumbling around.
• Expect the unexpected. I've had 45 hung-over people show up for a "major keynote speech" (lesson: never be the first speaker of the morning in a casino) and 500 show up for a "casual little discussion." At one event in an arena, all the lights went off while I was speaking, then back on again 30 seconds later. No matter what happens, your role is to remain calm and composed. If you do this, you will win over the room. I actually rehearse how I might react to unexpected occurrences.
• Be immediately interesting. Even if you have housekeeping notes or details to go over with the audience, don't start with these! First, build a rapport and demonstrate that you are both in control and worth their attention. Audiences are happy to support a speaker, once they recognize his or her talents.
• If you are terrified, use that terror to your advantage. As part of your planned opening, say something that either acknowledges your anxiety or makes it seem like good acting. In the past, I've opened with stories that began, "If it seems like I'm nervous, it's because _____" and then wove that into a joke, cautionary tale or vivid example of what we'd be focused on in my session.

How to Nail the First 60 Seconds of Your Presentation from Bruce Kasanoff

Reach has a new Program Assistant!

Hi All!

Welcome to Madison- we are very excited to have you here! I hope you're all adjusting well, enjoying your classes and taking advantage of the beautiful, warm weather while it lasts. I'm Allison Blader- I'll be replacing Maggie Streeten at Reach because she has graduated and is leaving for Senegal with the Peace Corps soon!

I'm a senior majoring in International Studies with certificates in Global Health and Gender &Women's studies. Before working for Reach, I had my time as an international student. I spent a semester in Israel at the University of Haifa where I studied Peace & Conflict studies, attempted to speak Hebrew, and ate my weight in hummus.

                                                                             Representing UW-Madison in Haifa!

  I also spent a semester in Sri Lanka where I did a research project on women's health, explored, and ate my weight in curry.

Being an ambassador and teaching my host siblings how to dance Backstreet Boy style

 

 

 

 

I'm thrilled to be starting at Reach and I have tons of fun, new ideas for us! I can't wait to meet and work with all of you. I'm sure you are all drowning in homework already but feel free to stop by and say hi at the ISS office.

For those who don't know and to remind those who do:
Make sure to check out our Facebook page
We're also on Twitter
And we have a website !

Feel free to email me at reach@studentlife.wisc.edu with any questions or if you (or a friend) is interested in joining Reach! Also, don't forget to come to our orientation session on Tuesday, Septemper 17th at 5pm in Mezzanine C  above the ISS offices.

Can't wait to meet all of you!

Best,

Allison

Back at Reach, New Semester, New Twitter, New Orientations!

Hello Everyone!

First of all, I want to say WELCOME to all of the new international students excitedly roaming the streets of Madison! I was lucky enough to meet lots of you at the ISS Orientation last week and I hope that you all managed to find the grocery store and purchase cellphone plans (many of you were worried about that). I am sure you are adapting beautifully and I speak for all of my fellow Badgers when I say that we are so happy to have you here in Madison.

My name is Maggie Streeten and, as Kassie said in the previous post, I will be replacing her at Reach because she has graduated! I actually held the Reach position before Kassie but then I went abroad to take my turn being an international student! I was in Geneva, Switzerland where I was studying public health, working at WHO, speaking broken French, getting lost, and consuming far too much chocolate. Please feel free to stop by my office in ISS and introduce yourself if we don’t already know each other and even if we already do!

Being a global ambassador like you Reachers by teaching my Swiss friends about the 4th of July, an American Holiday.

Eating too much chocolate at a chocolate factory.

I am really excited to be back at Reach and I have lots of ideas about how to improve the Reach program in the coming semester.  First and foremost, we have a new twitter account so please, please follow us @UWReach (we are lonely without you following us!). I will be adding upcoming Reach events and volunteer opportunities via twitter and re-tweeting other campus opportunities and things that I think might be of interest to you. Also please feel free to tweet ideas for Reach at me!

In case you don’t already know we also have a facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/reach.uwmadison

I hope that the first week of the Spring semester went well for all of you! I know I am already drowning in homework but I guess that’s expected in the life of a student! If you know anyone who would be interested in joining Reach please have them email me at reach@studentlife.wisc.edu or have them attend one of the orientation sessions on February 12^th or February 28^th at 5:30pm in Mezzanine C, above ISS.

I look forward to connecting you with Reach events soon!

Keep warm,

Maggie

Thank You and Goodbye!

It is with a combination of sadness and excitement that I write this farewell blog post to all of you fabulous Reach volunteers. I've been the program assistant with Reach for about a year now and I have learned so much in the position. I have really enjoyed meeting all of you - even if our only interaction was via email!

This is me and my little sister
at the graduation ceremony with Bucky!!

What's next? Currently, my path is pretty clear and open. I've recently accepted an internship with the Four Lakes Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Madison. Ever since I was a little kid, I've loved animals and considered becoming a veterinarian. So I will see if that's still the path for me. I am also thinking of doing a term with a program called Americorps - it's kind of like the Peace Corps, except it tries to solve problems right here in the U.S. rather than abroad.

I will still be around Madison though, so I will probably attend a few Reach socials and hopefully even the banquet at the end of this spring semester! Some of you who have been in the program for over a year will be happy to learn that the former Reach Program Assistant, Maggie Streeten, will be returning to the position in the spring. Maggie spent a year studying abroad and is excited to bring her new knowledge and fresh perspectives to the program.

I wanted to write this blog post mostly just to say "thank you!" to all of you. It has been such a pleasure planning and coordinating events for the Reach program and I have truly appreciated the enthusiasm and energy brought by all of our volunteers. If there is one thing I've learned throughout my time at this university, it's this: things don't work if people don't participate! It seems simple, but it's a huge problem here on campus. So many people see issues and are quick to complain about them. Few actually take steps to corrects those issues. One of our most pressing and important challenges here on campus and throughout the world is overcoming racial and cultural  prejudice. Like anything, our program is not perfect - but with your willingness to volunteer and with your hard work, we come closer to a community where people understand and embrace the differences that make us all unique. Thank you so much for being in Reach and thank you for being a global ambassador. It's hard to take on the responsibility of speaking for your culture - it's something that shouldn't have to be asked of us, but you all do it with grace and the community in which we all live is so grateful for that.

In appreciation and until later,
Kassie

November Newsletter

Program Updates ·         Our LAST Volunteer Training of the semester will take place on Tuesday, November 27th from 6:30-8pm -- this session will be focused on intercultural communication and is the rescheduled version of a training that we were supposed to have in October, but cancelled due to President Obama's campus visit. Evite will be sent out soon!  ·         We're hiring! The position of Reach Program Assistant is open for spring semester and beyond. See job description at the end of this newsletter if you're interested in applying.

Busy Mid-Semester for Our Volunteers! ·         Thursday, October 25th - Mariko Hasebe, a veteran Reach volunteer from Japan, presented to attendees at the NAFSA conference about our program and its purpose in a globalized age. The very next day, Mariko visited the Lussier Center and had lunch with senior citizens followed by a presentation about her home country and culture.  ·         Sunday, October 28th - Agathe Merle, Zi Sen Chong, and Muge Niu spent their Sunday afternoon reading stories from their childhood to a group of elementary-school-age kids.  ·         Thursday, November 8th - Audrey Forticaux (pictured above) travelled south to Janesville to give presentations on her home country of France to the attendees of a French-themed Cultural Cuisine Night.  ·         Monday, November 12th - Reach volunteers Arif Fazil and Jin Han made their way to Middleton High School for a presentation on the Millennium Development Goals for the school's annual Human Rights Week.  ·          Wednesday, November 14th - Mariko Hasebe, Kelly Wang, and Rui Li will meet with a first-year-undergraduate seminar to discuss the experience of international students on the UW campus. ·         Sunday, November 18th - Kanyuan Huang, Alyssa Ramirez Stege and Yeonju (Lisa) Oh will attend the second storytime event and read their own childhood stories to a group of young kids. Here is a HUGE shoutout and THANK YOU to all of you volunteers who have already contributed to the program and to all of you who will in the future! We appreciate you all very, very much!

We're Hiring!!

Program Assistant Job Description and Application Information ISS Job Description: International Reach Program Coordinator Assistant Would you like to help foster intercultural relationships on campus and in the local community?  Consider working with International Student Services (ISS) as the program assistant for International Reach, which is a unique program designed to promote global education. International Reach places UW international students, scholars and family members in local schools, campus venues and community organizations to give presentations about their home cultures and their experience as international visitors. Objective: To promote, coordinate, facilitate and monitor the International Reach program under the auspices and guidance of the ISS International Reach program supervisor/ coordinators. Responsibilities: § Create promotional materials including fliers and displays § Prepare materials for volunteer orientation sessions § Help recruit new international volunteers § Help market the program to potential requestors on campus and in the community § Communicate with international volunteers and requestors § Facilitate contact between international volunteers and requestors to aid in arranging successful presentations § Maintain administrative files and databases § Work with the ISS web technician to maintain the Reach webpage on the ISS website § Compile resources and write a monthly newsletter for international volunteers § Other tasks as assigned Qualifications and Skills: Must be very self motivated. Excellent oral and written communication skills, strong organizational abilities and attention to details, knowledge of facilitating presentations, leadership experience, strong interpersonal skills. Good computer skills in word processing, database management, and general graphic design, including Microsoft Word, Access and Excel (Adobe InDesign & Illustrator experience a plus). Interest in working with international students as well as campus and community members. Number of Hours: 15 hours per week for Spring semester (19 weeks) with a preferred start date of January 7. Some training in December is required.  Renewal of appointment possible. Rate of Pay: $10.00 per hour. Hourly position. *This is not a PA position. To Apply: Application deadline: November 15.  Submit an electronic copy of a cover letter describing how past work/ course experiences have helped develop skills that are relevant to the position. Applications will not be accepted without a cover letter. Also include a resume with the names of references and contact information. Applications may be sent to Katie Wirka: wirka@studentlife.wisc.edu. Preference will be given to those who can work through Spring semester and continue on for the 2013-2014 academic year. ISS is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We promote excellence through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.

UW Archives

Cool! Check this out:

http://uwmadarchives.tumblr.com/post/31272896632/international-students-then-and-now