Flurries are in the forecast for the rest of the summer at TRU — flurries as in hundreds of international students on campus for short-term immersion classes ranging from one to 16 weeks.
The visitors are 13 to 25 years old and are here to improve their English reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Solo and group class time is balanced with field trips in town and elsewhere and lasting as little as a few hours to a day or two.
Students from Hong Kong discuss the learning assignment.
More than 720 students will be here over the summer, with more than 300 of them from Hong Kong. Others are from China, Colombia, Honduras, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Panama, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Ukraine.
“Because we are competing with universities around the world, we have to offer something many others don’t,” said Lori De Frias, manager of TRU World’s International Training Centre (ITC).
“I strongly believe the support we provide our students, plus the engaging active lessons taught by our committed staff are our strengths. Our goal is for students to gain a better understanding of Canadian culture while increasing their overall English proficiency.”
New this year is the Visiting Student Program. In these 12-14 week sessions, students take three courses from the ITC — leadership, intercultural communications and global employment skills — followed by an Open Learning course.
Students create dream catchers as a practical component to learning about Canadian Aboriginal culture.
In September, 50 students from Tainjin University of Technology will be here for two semesters and take the three ITC courses and five customized courses taught by faculty in School of Business and Economics.
Off-campus trips and destinations include Banff, Vancouver, North Barriere Lake Resort, horseback riding at Erin Valle Riding Stables in nearby Barnhartvale, indoor rock climbing, Wells Grey Provincial Park, local wine tours, Atlantis Waterslides in Vernon, Paul Lake, Sun Peaks, Treetop Flyers zipline in Chase and Margaret Falls in Herald Provincial Park.
Adding to the economy
The short-term programs have a rich history at TRU, growing from 24 students the first year in 2009 to the hundreds today.
And with the visitors comes economic impacts to Kamloops, the region and beyond. With the average tuition being $2,500, the money flows into the community as:
- Wages for 42 teachers, with most of them being grads of TRU’s Teaching English as a Second Language program
- Compensating the 215 local households billeting students through TRU’s Homestay program
- Students staying in dorms
- Chartering local bus companies for field trips
- Hiring local companies and suppliers whenever possible
- Spending money the students bring themselves, ranging from the suggested minimum of $200 to a few thousand.
