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TRU

Students from around the globe experience and study culture at TRU this summer

Sep 3, 2023 | 7:59 AM

KAMLOOPS — Nearly 500 students from around the world are studying culture and language at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) this summer.

This year marks the 16th anniversary of the Language and Culture program, run under the International Training Centre’s 30-year history. In a recent news release, the school says the number of students in the program is back to pre-pandemic levels this year, with 490 students and 33 chaperones from eight countries in July and August.

In the Language and Culture Program, international students can engage in intercultural competency and language lessons, supplemented by recreational activities that spotlight the Kamloops community, its natural landscape and local culture.

“Through our Language and Culture Programs, students embark on a journey of curiosity and exploration,” said Baihua Chadwick, Vice-President International. “With the support of the ITC team, local families, chaperones and TRU staff, students build memories that will last a lifetime and foster an environment of learning, growth and curiosity.”

The program welcomes high school and university students from TRU’s global partner institutions, with this summer’s participants coming from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Argentina and Venezuela.

Carol Chien, superintendent at Infinite Education, brought 124 students to the program and lauded it as a “lifetime changed summer camp,”.

The program is further elevated because of the support of local families through the TRU Homestay Program. Hosting an international student provides a unique cultural exchange experience that enriches everyone involved.

The school invites local families to consider TRU’s Homestay Program.