The Office of International Affairs’ English Conversation Program (ECP) has been recognized with a 2022 Student Life Leadership Award.
As the recipient of the Outstanding Diversity Program Award, which is sponsored by the Student Life Multicultural Center, ECP was selected for demonstrating significant commitment to fostering intercultural programming as part of the university’s efforts to develop globally engaged students.
“It is an honor for our work in intercultural programming to be recognized and celebrated,” said Dan Montour, OIA’s intercultural learning specialist. “We strive to create spaces that foster intercultural communication, build connections for students and shape their leadership skills.”
A long-standing program within OIA, ECP is spearheaded by the global engagement team, and is a co-curricular, student-led intercultural communication program. It provides opportunities for international and domestic students to expand their worldviews, improve their intercultural communication skills and make friends from different cultural backgrounds. Students are placed into groups of five based on their diverse backgrounds and meet throughout the semester to have conversations and experiences with one another. ECP also has large group events, such as hiking, socials and ice skating to meet other members in the program.
“I am extremely proud of ECP’s student leadership team for their dedicated and creative solutions. Despite the ever-changing landscape of the pandemic, our team was able to find new ways to bring Buckeyes together,” Montour said.
The 2022 Leadership Awards were streamed virtually on April 8 on the Student Life’s YouTube channel.