On Friday, November 19, GlobalEyes CEO Paul Millman was a presenter at the OASDI (Ontario Association of School Districts International) Symposium 2021. OASDI represents over 40 publicly funded school boards hosting international students. Most Ontario school districts accept international students from kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12). While this was OASDI’s fourth symposium having missed last year due to Covid 19, the 2021 conference was offered virtually for the first time to over 200 participants. The GlobalEyes Network was represented at the conference by Millman and COO Lauren Van Tol, who was third overall on the conference leaderboard, winning a copy of keynote speaker Jennifer Klein’s book, The Global Education Guidebook: Humanizing K-12 Classrooms Worldwide Through Equitable Partnerships.

 

Session 1 – The Global Citizenship Program – Welcoming International Students to Canada

With the number of international student programs growing each year, it is becoming more difficult for agents to differentiate between programs in Canada. Creating a deliberate and planned environment where your program is more welcoming to international students will set you apart from others. The “Global Citizenship Program” (GCP) has been designed for this purpose. The GCP guides students, schools, and communities in developing into integral allies in a positive international student experience while increasing global awareness and understanding at home.

 

Following a well-attended session with much positive feedback, Millman observed, “There is a high degree of interest in Ontario on the process of integrating international students.” A number of programs followed up and GlobalEyes will be pursuing opportunities for training in the very near future.

 

Session 2 – Promoting Programs Outside Major Urban Areas

In the past decade, the growth of K-12 international education in Canada has significantly outpaced the rest of the world. Currently, most large Canadian cities have very robust ISPs and typically reach their maximum capacity to accept these students. And yet, the demand for placements continues. This presentation focuses on programs who are outside the major urban areas, as they will have to operate differently to achieve, or exceed, the level of growth seen in the sector prior to the pandemic and beyond.

 

This is a presentation Millman has delivered a number of times in the past and has always been well-received. Building on his experience in Nova Scotia, where the majority of students are placed in rural areas, Millman delivered a presentation outlining a number of effective approaches for promotion in non-traditional areas. With a growing population of school districts in Ontario outside urban centres, this knowledge will be key for their future success.