CityNews Kitchener
Christine Clark
Friday September 2, 2022
Mehreen Shahid/CambridgeToday
Conestoga College has partnered with the World University Service of Canada, bringing refugee students to post-secondary schools in our country.
So far one student has arrived here locally, with another coming in the next few weeks.
The WUSC Student Refugee Program (SRP) is designed to give safe, equitable and quality education to those who need it most.
Students are sponsored through a campus-based committee that leads a full year of financial, social, academic, and health and wellness support.
Jillian Grant, executive and special projects assistant to International Education at the college, says many of these students have experienced a lot of trauma, some of them coming directly from a refugee camp where they may have recently lost a loved one.She tells CityNews, some committee and staff members came to Canada as refugees themselves.
"That gives them a great benefit when meeting with our refugee students and giving them that expertise and advice on what they went through."
The first student, from Somalia arrived last month, another from Afghanistan is expected to arrive this fall term.
"Education can be vital to successful resettlement and integration. This initiative provides equitable and quality education while facilitating access to safety."
The hope is to have one student sponsored locally each year.