Student ambassador programme brings together international and domestic students

Student Ambassadors on the bow sprite of the R Tucker Thompson in December 2021.

When I was in my last years of high school (admittedly a long time ago), going on an overseas exchange, hosting overseas students in your home, and heading off on your big Overseas Experience once you finished school were the experiences that opened our eyes to the world beyond New Zealand.

Hosting international students and later travelling overseas, I realised that not everyone spoke English, not everyone ate meat and three veg for dinner and not everyone spent Christmas at the beach.

These types of experiences were invaluable in opening my eyes to the variety of cultures outside of our New Zealand bubble and growing my global competency.

Before Covid-19 restrictions, hundreds of New Zealand students would take part in overseas exchange programmes every year, including school-to-school exchanges and sports trips.

Similarly, international students were able to travel to New Zealand to attend our high schools and universities, creating invaluable cultural sharing and learning for both the international students and the Kiwi students they interacted with.

Today, experiences like AFS Intercultural Programme exchanges and the traditional OE, as well as myriad other opportunities, are off the table.

As the Study Northland Project Manager, tasked with promoting our region domestically and internationally as a study destination and expanding our student's international cultural experiences, the border restrictions posed a huge challenge.

With travel off the table, Northland students' best chance to get exposure to other cultures and to grow their global competency is through meeting and connecting with international and migrant students living in New Zealand and via online exchanges.

The Study Northland Student Ambassador Programme was created to connect domestic and international students who are living in Northland.

The programme creates amazing opportunities to connect strongly with local culture, environment, and community with ambassadors helping to plan multi-cultural events, sharing uniquely Northland experiences and taking part in global competence training.

In 2021, students from 12 different countries, including from our own Northland schools, worked together to create more inclusive and diverse school communities while gaining invaluable intercultural skills and making lifelong friends.

Opening a virtual gateway to the world, Northland Student Ambassadors from a variety of regional high schools take part in an AFS designed GCC (Global Competence Certificate) intercultural programme.

Kiwi students who have taken part in virtual exchanges with India and Korea over the past two years have learned about themselves as much as about another culture, they have been inspired to travel, to learn another language and have made friends from the other side of the world.

"Through this (GCC) program we have explored the differences around us and have gained tools that will help us build bridges between cultures and beyond this we have also learnt so much about ourselves.

Speaking to Korean and New Zealand students has brought a whole new perspective of the world to me, and I look forward to the borders opening so I can safely see my new friends and practice my learnings!" – Mikayla, Whangarei Girls' High School

"I've loved talking with everyone from India and learning about their culture, I've even learnt some stuff about New Zealand that I'd never really thought about and we've had a lot of laughs along the way." - Jaluka, Springbank School

Global Competence Certificate graduates from Whangarei Girls' High School at Korean graduation dinner in Whangarei

Through the Student Ambassador programme we've been able to continue intercultural experiences within our region, enabling those international students who have remained in Northland through the border closures along with our student ambassadors to continue to share uniquely Kiwi experiences while learning about one another's culture.

Last year, we were able to facilitate 20 student ambassadors from Northland high schools and NorthTec taking part in a day of paddleboarding, surfing, team-building and marine science, hosted by Tutukaka based business Sup Bro Paddleboarding.

When you are balanced on the same board as six other people with paddles, every movement affects everyone, and you quickly learn to work as a team.

Many of the students were not strong swimmers, coming from land-locked countries, but to their credit, everyone gave it a go and for many, surfing on the giant paddleboards and tipping over in the waves was the highlight of their day.

Student ambassadors in Tutukaka during a day of paddleboarding, surfing, team-building and marine science.

We also took a group of ambassadors to Matakohe Limestone Island for a day of volunteering and sea air. For international students studying here, the chance to give back to the region they have come to love is high on their list of priorities.

Everyone grabbed a spade, grubber and gloves and got stuck into some full-on weeding. The Kiwi students had a lot more weeding experience which they were happy to share and as a group, they managed to clear a good section of hillside.

We ended the year in style last year aboard the R. Tucker Thompson tall ship in the Bay of Islands.

Our student ambassadors from all around the world didn't hesitate to climb up the mast, out on the bow sprite with some even jumping off the boat and swimming to shore.

The whole day was a testament to their enthusiasm and confidence in making the most of all the opportunities studying abroad has to offer.

Jo Lees, Project Manager Study Northland, Northland Inc

There are only a handful of international students left in Northland at the present time but hopefully with the recent border announcements, many educational institutions will be welcoming international students back for term one next year.

Until then, let's continue to grow our global citizens so we will be ready to welcome the big wide world.