Community Members

The Global Education Office offers multiple programs for Americans and established internationals from the university and local community to get to know international students and scholars studying at VCU.

Global Café

International and domestic students, faculty, staff, and community visitors are invited to monthly for socializing and refreshments. It is a time for campus and community members to meet and develop friendships. Everyone is welcome!
View the Global Café schedule.

Conversation Partner Program

Fluent English-speaking volunteers meet for at least one hour each week with VCU's international students/scholars to enable them to learn more about American culture, practice English language skills, and gain confidence in their communication abilities. Volunteers serve as a cultural mentor to international students/scholars and practice cross-cultural communication skills. View more information about the program. To contact us, email ISSP@vcu.edu.

International Student Application
Conversation Partner Volunteer Application

Friendship Families

The VCU Friendship, Family and Cultural Exchange Program (VCU FFACE) provides Richmond community members and international students and scholars the opportunity to develop cross-cultural friendships with each other. The FFACE Program provides sustained interactions between American families and international students/scholars, increases and enhances cultural understandings, and provides insight into a world beyond the students’ and community participants’ own perspectives and experiences. Community volunteers and students to meet at least once a month to participate in whatever activities they would like. This could include family dinners, sporting events (baseball games, etc.), local food and music festivals, museums, canoeing, etc. The Global Education Office also coordinates several group events each year. For more information, email ISSP@vcu.edu.

Student and Scholar and Volunteer Applications
Volunteer Application

American Holiday Visits

International students and scholars are invited into a home with a local family to experience a typical American holiday such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, or the 4th of July. For more information, email ISSP@vcu.edu.

Thanksgiving Student Request Form
Thanksgiving Volunteer Info Form

‌Rise Against Hunger Meal Packing Activity

The Rise Against Hunger meal packaging event will be held in the West Grace North residence hall (830 W Grace St.), Room 1030J. During meal packaging events, volunteers work in groups to assemble nutritious food packets which are then sent around the world to schools, orphanages, and areas that have suffered from natural disasters and violence. In the past, VCU international students have volunteered with other groups who have hosted this event and our students have loved it. For the first time, the Global Education Office will be hosting our own meal packaging event here at VCU.

To volunteer for this event visit events.riseagainsthunger.org/VCU2019PackingEvent to sign up. The following shifts to volunteer are available: Global Education Office shift (9:30-11:30 a.m.), VCU & Community Volunteers shift (2-5 p.m.), or volunteers can sign up for both. Please feel free to bring family members to this event. Each participant will need to be registered.

For more information about Rise Against Hunger, visit www.riseagainsthunger.org. For questions about this event, please email nldorton@vcu.edu.

International Student & Scholar Advisory Board

The International Student and Scholar Advisory Board (ISSAB) is a group undergraduate and graduate students brought together to share issues of concern for international students at VCU and to offer feedback on GEO-sponsored programs, activities and resources. ISSAB members participate in programs and activities sponsored by the Global Education Office in order to provide feedback and to seek the feedback of their peers.

More information about the Advisory Board