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Member Highlights 2019-2020
The Nova Scotia International Student Program (NSISP) was on track to have its biggest ever year in terms of student enrollment in 2019-2020 until the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of several groups and forced many students to travel home before the end of the school year. Despite the various disruptions caused by COVID-19, 2019-2020 can still be considered a successful year for the NSISP with several notable milestones.
In the last year, the NSISP had 1123 FTE’s and more than 1527 students in our program from 35 countries, which was our highest ever number. We had a record number of short-term groups register, and we also had our highest ever percentage of graduating students deciding to stay in the province for post-secondary studies (89 students). This represented 38% of the overall graduating class and was an increase of 11% from the previous year.
For the first time, the NSISP partnered with EduNova and the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education to offer scholarships to Nova Scotia Student Ambassadors who planned on attending Nova Scotia universities and colleges. Of the 77 grade 12 ambassadors active in the program, 44 applied for this bursary. We see this as a success and hope it will be renewed in 2020- 2021.
Although COVID-19 continues to present a variety of challenges for both current and future students, the NSISP is extremely proud of how the situation was handled in our province. Students were encouraged to stay in Nova Scotia until they felt safe to travel home, and the whole program came together to make the best of a difficult situation. In the end, we had one of the lowest percentages of students departing early in the country, with over 65% of our students remaining until the completion of classes. Although this period has been challenging, the professionalism, warmth, and flexibility shown by the program staff and host families has been complimented by numerous partners and will put the NSISP in good stead for the future, post-pandemic.
Nova Scotia International Student Program
What a year 2019-2020 has been for our international students at Sacred Heart School of Halifax! We welcomed our largest number of international students in the same week that Hurricane Dorian came rolling in. This gave our international students, their homestay families, and even some of their natural families who joined us for our first annual Welcome Week, a unique opportunity to bond over shared time and experiences. It was certainly an unexpected way to start our 170th school year.
And, the COVID19 pandemic gave us an unexpected end to the year! As a result of this unprecedented situation and Nova Scotia’s state of emergency, we pivoted to offer distance learning for all of our students. Our international students adapted well - most remained in Halifax and a few others continued their studies from their home countries where they had been for March Break. Those who remained in Nova Scotia were well-supported by their homestay families and completed the year successfully.
With EduNova and EduCanada’s support and innovation during the pandemic, Sacred Heart added to its international recruitment by participating in Virtual Fairs in Latin America and Asia. We continue to pursue inquiries and leads from abroad and anticipate welcoming new students for the 2020-21 year.
As this year came to close, we were thrilled to learn that Kogie Esteban, an international student from the Philippines, was chosen to be this year’s valedictorian for Fountain Academy of the Sacred Heart. Kogie is the first international student to be honoured in this way.
East Coast Language College (ECLC) welcomes young students (aged 14 to 18) every June, July, and August for a fun-filled summer adventure. Most students stay with homestay families and experience a Nova Scotian holiday in a Canadian home.
In 2019, students came from Brazil, Mexico, Italy, and Vietnam to study 4 weeks of English at ECLC and to take part in typical Canadian activities, which showcased our beautiful province. Students camped in wigwams at Mersey River, learned kayaking, got wet and muddy while tidal bore rafting, competed in scavenger hunts, enjoyed Peggy’s Cove and Queensland beach, held a dance party, barbecued in Point Pleasant Park, and shopped ‘til they dropped. Many had to buy an extra suitcase for their trip home as they had purchased so many souvenirs and gifts! The month-long trip culminated in an awards ceremony and graduation, complete with caps and gowns! Some students fell in love with our province and decided to study in our pathway program with a goal of enrolling in a Nova Scotia post-secondary institution.
Some words from our summer students: “Great program. I liked the activities and classes. The teachers are amazing and so are the staff.” BT, Mexico. “It was my best holiday ever. I highly recommend it.” LP, Italy. “I thought the program is really good for all the things. I could improve my English, make new friends, explore more of Nova Scotia, and everything. And I stayed with an amazing family.” EC, Brazil.
ECLC is already planning for, and looking forward to, summer 2021! www.eclccanada.com
St.Francis Xavier University is known for its premier educational experience, one that supports students’ development into leaders in their community. Small classes where students engage individually with their professors, incredible campus spirit with opportunities for personal development, and individualized supports to help students thrive in and out of the classroom are part of what makes StFX special.
This past year, along with many other Nova Scotian institutions, StFX participated in the International Student Barometer as a way of hearing from international students if they are satisfied with their experience. We were thrilled with the overwhelming positive response from our students. Our Office of Internationalization was ranked number one in Canada and number six in the world. We ranked number one in the world for satisfaction in the process from application to admission. We also ranked very strongly with our quality of education, the connection our students feel with faculty, and the support students receive when they arrive on campus.
The survey also revealed to us areas where we need to do some work to make sure that students are satisfied with their entire experience at StFX. We also recognize that this survey, while useful and comprehensive, is a measurement of only one part of the internationalization effort. As a more globalized perspective grows across our campus, we look forward to future measures of satisfaction relating to the experience of internationalization by all students, domestic and international.
