The IEP sponsored a variety of events this fall, incorporating popular career-oriented activities from years past alongside some new student-led initiatives.
IEP Partnership Program
Those who have participated in the IEP or who work with IEP students know that intercultural and linguistic learning, the cornerstone of the IEP international experience, doesn’t necessarily stop after a student returns home from their time abroad. But how can we provide additional outlets for students to continue to process the knowledge they’ve gained and also give back to the larger IEP community while on campus?
Following a suggestion from a friend, one student’s answer to this question was to create a tandem learning opportunity. Starting this past fall, German IEP ambassador and fifth-year senior Ella Junge launched the IEP Partnership Program, an opt-in program that introduces IEP returnees with some of our international exchange students. The intention was to pair students together who could understand what uprooting oneself and adapting to a new culture, learning environment and way of living was like. In order to increase available partnerships so that appropriate matches could be made, invites were also extended to a handful of IEP students who are still actively in the process of planning for their year abroad.
Exploring cultural topics and/or engaging in linguistic practice or even exploring local surroundings together – the relationship could be what the partners determined was most important to them and to meet as frequently as they desired. The semester-long opportunity culminated in a holiday get-together in December with both current participants and those who might like to join during the spring semester with new and returning international students.
IEP Senior Showcase & Networking Night 2025
On September 17, the IEP hosted its annual student showcase and networking night. About 20 of our IEP/IBP/ICSP returnees presented about their international experiences and achievements to a mix of current and prospective students, IEP LLC residents, international students, IEP alumni, faculty, staff, administrators and industry reps. A couple of students who had been abroad for shorter periods of time – a summer term at Tunghai University in Taiwan, for example – were also invited to discuss what they learned while abroad and to network with other attendees. The event also featured the posters from about 15 recent IEP grads. We missed having them there, but also want to congratulate them on the completion of their year abroad and moving on to the next step in their careers/academic journeys!
IEPxNSBE Towers of the World Event
This fall, the IEP collaborated with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Office of International Education to put on an event called “Towers of the World” on October 8. This special session was also proposed by a student, French IEP ambassador and NSBE president Jaymori Leonard, and was hosted during NSBE’s weekly meeting time. The audience included several NSBE members and early IEP students.
It featured an interesting blend of activities and topics made possible by this unique synergy of participating groups. Former NSBE president Emily Stewart kicked off the meeting via Zoom during the early morning hours of her day – in Japan! Stewart is currently studying there for her year abroad, which enabled her to share with the audience some perspectives from her time abroad so far. This included positive happenings, supports utilized, “real-talk moments” and providing some advice and encouragement to her peers. There were many questions for her and students were very invested in this discussion with her.
This was a perfect segue for Melissa Schenck, IEP coordinator, to include a brief review about what the IEP is for those who are in their first year or two at URI. Jamie Loredo, education abroad advisor for the College of Engineering, then was able to share about shorter-term experiences that both IEP and non-IEP students alike are eligible for and could consider joining over the next months and semesters, such as a summer session in South Korea or Salamanca, Spain.
During the remaining time, participants engaged in one of the IEP’s special activities, a marshmallow tower building contest in teams. Energy was naturally at a high for this part of the meeting despite the late hour and prizes were awarded to the team with the tallest tower. This event and the showcase have inspired other students to seek collaborations with the IEP, such as URI ASA (Asian Students Association) and URI Timmy Global Health (a group that supports healthcare systems in communities in South America and Africa) for additional outreach and/or career-oriented events in recent months.
Leverage Your Global Skills Fall Workshop
A final event worth highlighting from the recent fall lineup was our December 3 “Leverage Your Global Skills” career workshop. Led by the College of Engineering’s career coordinator Lauren Creamer, a dedicated group of 14 participants first learned about the NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) skills that employers really are looking for in applicants.
With this as a base, those in attendance were divided into groups to discuss a series of prompts designed to guide everyone to think critically about what these skills might look like “out in the wild”. Those who have not yet completed the international portion of their IEP curriculum identified which skills they personally want to focus on developing abroad and outlined some ways that they could intentionally build upon them during their upcoming global experiences. Some participants already had some international expertise, including a couple of international interns and IEP staff members, and were able to share their perspectives as well with those going abroad in 2026 or 2027.
The intention of having this event earlier in the year this time around was to have it be a relevant follow-up to the career fair in October and to catch students early on in the study abroad planning process. The conversations were overwhelmingly productive and positive, making it a great way to wrap up the semester.