Trent University's Student Refugee Program Recognized as Local Committee of the Year by World University Service of Canada
Student refugee program at Trent has supported nearly 50 refugees from more than 10 countries since 1980
The World University Service of Canada Student Refugee Program (WUSC SRP) recently honoured Trent University’s WUSC SRP Committee as Local Committee of the Year during the WUSC and CECI International Forum in Ottawa.
A first for Trent’s Student Refugee Program (SRP), the award recognizes the committee’s outstanding achievements in recruiting, supporting, and transitioning student refugees into university and Canadian life. Trent WUSC SRP was selected out of the 63 other SRP programs at universities across Canada.
"The Local Committee of the Year Award is proof that students can make a tremendous impact in whatever they put their minds to. This award motivates us to keep growing and striving for bigger and better achievements, and reminds us that it does not matter how big our committee is or how many resources we have, because grassroots work will always be rewarding,” says Dorothy Cheng, co-chair of WUSC at Trent and third-year History and English student. “This is an award that is to be shared with the committee executives who have come before us, and also with the departments at Trent University who have collaborated with us to make our SRP program one of the best."
Started in 1980, the SRP program at Trent is an entirely volunteer student run initiative that has supported nearly 50 students from over 10 different countries, including South Africa, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Somalia and Syria, among others. Today, Trent WUSC sponsors up to three SRP students per year by helping ensure a smooth immigration process, housing when they arrive at Trent, course registration, and assistance with managing their overall transition into Canadian and university life.
Through the program, described by an anonymous SRP student at Trent as “a life-changing and hope-giving project for a prosperous life,” approximately $30,000 is needed to sponsor one student for one year. The program is supported by all students at Trent through a levy fee. Trent WUSC also raises funds for the SRP program through various fundraising initiatives held throughout the year.
To continue to build on the great work done by Trent WUSC, the committee is developing a Legacy Project in the form of a documentary to showcase the lives of refugees in Peterborough with an emphasis on Trent’s SRP students and the role the program plays. The goal of the documentary is to put a human face on refugee issues and highlight the challenges of transitioning into a new community, while also showcasing the rewards and successes experienced by former refugees.
A screening of the documentary, featuring a panel discussion, is currently being planned by Trent WUSC.
About Trent University
One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.
For more information, contact:
Kate Weersink, communications and media relations officer, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x6180 or kateweersink@trentu.ca