4 Community Mentoring Program Seeks Volunteers Members of the 2011 Community Mentor Program, now known as the Compass Program, pose behind the Simon Benson House following the May 20, 2011 appreciation lunch. RAPS member Maxine Thomas is in the front row, second from the left, flanked by Anna Gindlesperger and Jill Townley from the PSU Office of International Affairs. Photo by Sarah Kenney. ow in its second year, the Compass Program is a community mentoring program which pairs volunteers from the community with international students. The program was created by the International Student Life team in the Office of International Affairs with cooperation of the Senior Adult Learning Center (SALC). Since its inception, senior citizens enrolled in PSU classes through SALC, a few RAPS members, and other community volunteers have served as mentors to some of PSU’s 1500 international students who have completed ESL and are enrolled in regular classes. The main activity of mentors is to provide social activities and opportunities for social interaction. For example, mentors might take their students to visit the Japanese or Chinese garden, eat at a restaurant downtown, participate in a family celebration, visit an American home, go shopping at COSTCO, or hike the 4T trail. These are all activities that last year’s mentees mentioned they enjoyed. This program does not require academic mentoring, although providing assistance with writing is fine. Mentors commit to meeting their students a couple times a month starting at the end of January 2012 and continuing through the end of May 2012. What will you gain from the experience as a mentor? You will expand your intercultural understanding and empathy for international students by seeing things from their perspective. You will have the satisfaction of knowing you have helped a student adjust to life in Portland. And you will gain a new friend (and who knows? Maybe someday that student’s family members will welcome you for a visit to their country). An orientation meeting has been tentatively set for Friday, Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to noon in East Hall 109. The meeting provides an opportunity to learn more about the Compass Program, enjoy a free lunch, and fill out an application to be a mentor. To receive more information about the program or orientation meeting, please email Jill Townley at townleyj@pdx.edu. --Marge Terdal N
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