International Peer Guide Program

Every semester new international students arrive at UW-Eau Claire! Current students, both international and domestic, have the opportunity to assist new student adjustment to the U.S. and UWEC by becoming a Peer Guide. If you love meeting new people, helping others, and interacting with individuals from all over the world, being a Peer Guide is just the thing for you!

What does a Peer Guide do? Peer Guides provide support to new international students during international student orientation week. They present new international students with an introduction to U.S. culture, the UWEC campus, and campus resources. The Peer Guide program is all about cross-cultural interaction and communication.

Peer Guides attend Peer Guide Training Week, which prepares them to help the new international students. Directly following the training week, Peer Guides participate in International Student Orientation Week. Peer Guides assist in the registration process and provide general pre-academic advising. One of the main tasks Peer Guides fulfill during orientation week is to conduct workshops regarding social issues, campus life, and cultural adjustment. Peer Guides are a resource for questions. Importantly, they are a friend who will be aware of students' apprehensions and adjustment needs, and they also participate in organized social activities with new students during orientation week.

Peer Guide service is a volunteer position, but Peer Guides receive a stipend of $100.00 upon successful completion of both Peer Guide Training Week and International Student Orientation Week. This stipend is not a payment for services, but is provided to help defray the cost of purchasing food on campus, attending social activities with students, and other miscellaneous expenses incurred during International Student Orientation Week. Peer Guide service also fulfills UW-Eau Claire's service learning requirements.

Recruitment for Peer Guides occurs in the middle of the spring semester. Applicants need to be available for Peer Guide training week and international student orientation week. Peer Guides are required to have completed at least two semesters at UW-Eau Claire at the time of Peer Guide training, and be in good academic standing. It's also important that the applicant be attending UW-Eau Claire in the semester they will be a Peer Guide.

Upon review of applications, some candidates may be offered a Volunteer Peer Guide position, because the number of full Peer Guide positions is limited. Volunteer Peer Guide service still fulfills UW-Eau Claire's Service Learning Requirement; however, Volunteer Peer Guides do not earn the small stipend that Peer Guides receive. Volunteer Peer Guides are typically paired with a Peer Guide and their group of international students. Volunteer Peer Guides are required to attend Peer Guide Training Week and International Student Orientation Week.

International student orientation occurs in the fall and in the spring, so Peer Guides are needed each semester. For the spring orientation, veteran Peer Guides are often contacted to see if they would like to assist. Spring Peer Guide Training is a day long, versus the week-long training held before the fall semester.

If you are interested in helping international students, making new friends, and visiting with people from all over the world, become a Peer Guide! Contact Kathryn Hurd, Peer Guide Coordinator, at international@uwec.edu for more information or to apply.