This past week, the World W.I.S.E. Resource Centre held its ninth annual World Opportunities Week (W.O.W.) to promote working, interning, volunteering and studying abroad.
The event included over 35 different organizations, thirty different information sessions as well as several special events on campus.
Sarah Carson, a U of M student who planned this year’s W.O.W., said, “It was really good to see all of the organizations together at the university and here promoting what they do and opportunities for students. [ . . . ] I think it’s a great event. We put a lot of work into it and it’s good to see the results.”
Doctors Without Borders, The Malawi Service Learning Experience, Ten Thousand Villages and Explore Official Languages, were just some of the organizations that participated in W.O.W.
Jake Nikkel, a student who took part in Explore Official Languages’ five-week summer program in Trois-Rivieres to learn French said, “I enjoyed it very much. [ . . . ] Even if you’re not a huge fan of going to school after you’ve just finished school [ . . . ] there’s a lot of opportunity to learn a language in a way that is much more enjoyable than a classroom setting.”
Meaghan Staff, a U of M student, spent eight months on a student exchange in Turkey through the University of Manitoba and the International Centre for Students.
Staff said, “I learned so much about the country, their culture, their language and most importantly I learned about myself. On top of all of that, I had so much fun doing it. [ . . . ] These amazing travel abroad and learning experiences that are nothing short of life-changing.”
Since returning back from her exchange, Staff, along with a friend, created an organization called “MIES in the Peg!” at the university to “aid in the assimilation of exchange students here at the University of Manitoba and show them [ . . . ] what our culture, country and city have to offer.”
The presentations and special events during W.O.W. included a Global Citizens Exhibit featuring photographs, stories and videos from international projects with Manitoba connections, a screening of the award-winning documentary War Dance, and presentations by Doctors Without Borders, Mennonite Central Committee, volunteering with the immigrant and refugee community of Manitoba, among others.
Staff had the opportunity to attend Henry Fast’s presentation on working with the Canadian International Development Agency. She found the presentation to be very helpful, showcasing opportunities available to both current students and recent grads.
Staff said, “I think for those of you that are interested in internationalizing your life or career, then W.O.W. is definitely something to take part in.”
Carson said, “I think this is a unique time in the lives of students, in that we have all of these venues to meet people and experience these different things, all pretty much packaged up for us. I think it’s up to us to take advantage of that.”
