Becoming a GCP student facilitator
Putting on the red T-shirt with the words “Connecting students from around the world”, Kirra is not just a quiet third-year student. She is a student facilitator of GCP.
Global Communicators Program (GCP) is a program for both domestic students and international students to build friendships and learn about diverse cultures. Each GCP session usually includes five to twenty students from different countries and a GCP facilitator need to organize the conversations and games to include every participant.
Recollecting the original reason for attending the GCP, Kirra from Wollongong said she wanted to meet people with different cultural background. Gradually she found it was also good to just unwind in GCP.
However, after becoming a GCP student leader, the meaning of GCP to her has altered. As a quiet girl, presiding a session and holding everyone’s attention was a challenge at first. Fortunately, she got help from other experienced leaders and the cooperative participants.
For many participants, GCP is one of the most memorable things in the university.
“GCP is my favorite place in the university. It is always enjoyable and the facilitators help me learn more about Australian culture,” said a Japanese exchange student Yuki who attended GCP over 100 times this semester.
To make a GCP session helpful and interesting, the facilitators usually need to prepare for a long time beforehand, collecting name tags, preparing snacks and an attending sheet, and thinking about various games and conversation topics which can include everyone. When the participants are laughing and joking, the facilitators have to keep an eye on time; when someone seems to be ignored, they need to engage and encourage him or her.
“Sometimes if we have a big session, it is really hard to get everyone to listen to what you are saying,” Kirra said.
However, Kirra still prefers being a GCP facilitator. This job is not easy but the meaning of it outweighs its difficulty.
To Kirra, the reason for being a GCP leader may be beyond just relaxing.
“I like when people become more open-minded once they come to GCP, and they might have stereotypes about other people but when they come to GCP that might change.”
In the video on GCP website, a participant said “GCP is family”. And the reason behind may be the facilitators like Kirra who make GCP warm and welcoming.
Kirra also hopes more local students can come to GCP so that the local students can be more open-minded and the international students can get help to integrate into Australia more smoothly.
“If everyone seems to have a good session, then that’s my aim.”
ThisisAngela 