From Amman to Aqaba When Marlene Hancock first visited Jordan, it found a very special place in her heart. Now five Douglas College students share the same passion following an amazing two-week odyssey in the Arab kingdom. Hancock, a Douglas College Political Science instructor, has led six teams of Douglas students to Model United Nations Conferences (DOUGIMUN) in Cairo, but this time students sought a new experience in the Middle East. For Hancock, the decision was easy. “T feel 1am an Arab at heart. | went to Jordan when I was 17 and spent six months there. | have a sense of the country, and when our students were looking for a destination, I thought ‘let’s go to Jordan,” says Hancock. The Jordanian Embassy agreed to support the trip as a project of Jordan's Higher Council for Youth. As guests of the Jordanian government, the Douglas College visitors experienced a whirlwind schedule of visits to cultural and historical sites — and meetings with educational and political figures. “They gave us one day to recover from jet lag, and on the second day a government bus arrived and we went everywhere and everything was taken care of. We met with officials from the Ministry of the Interior, CEOs of universities and governors of Pp rovi neces, says Hancock. “We discussed topics such as globalization and the impact of mass media, which are very important issues in Jordan. Meanwhile, the students were gaining new understandings of the country and culture.” The group visited the site of T. E. Lawrence’s camp in Wadi Rum, travelled to the historic port of Aqaba, and dined with Bedouins in the desert. “We had an enormous dinner with the Bedouins, and they entertained us with traditional Arabic music, singing and dancing. It was magical.” One stop that made a lasting impact on the Political Science student Merrill Farmer (left) meets with Palestinian refugee children at Queen Rania Camp in Amman, Jordan group was a visit with Palestinian refugee children at the Queen Rania Family Centre in Amman. “We spent half a day visiting with the children in that centre and it was very touching,” says Hancock. “Later we decided we wanted to do something for them, so we will donate about $2,000 from our DOUGIMUN fund to the centre.” ‘The itinerary was exhausting but invigorating, and Hancock is already planning to lead another College contingent to Amman in 2006. Exchange students will work for English — and a little cash Keira Swanson is offering BC employers a double opportunity this summer: they can learn about Quebec and save a little money at the same time. As Douglas College's Project Officer for Young Canada Works: Languages at Work program, Swanson helps students gain work experience in their second official language. This year, she has 25 eager French-Canadian exchange students who want to be put to work. “The government covers 60 percent of the students’ wage, and this year they're asking that Py UN MIT Ll students be paid nine dollars an hour, one dollar more than minimum wage,” she says. “Still, it’s a great savings to the employer — they get a full-time employee for two months and it only costs them approximately $1,170.” ‘The students range in age from 19 to 30, and have work experience in everything from electrical engineering to teaching. “About half of the students are working towards degrees in early childhood education, so they'd like to work at a children’s camp,” says Swanson. “Others are interested in restaurant jobs as that’s what they do at home.” “It’s a great deal for employers. They get a hard-working and dedicated employee, and the majority of the wage is paid for by the government,” says Swanson. “Employers can also learn more about Quebec, which isn’t an opportunity we get very often here on the West Coast. Many of our past students have become friends with their employers and have kept in touch for years.” The students, all from Quebec, arrived at Douglas College May 24 for the five-week immersion program. lisa total immersion, with stiff penalties for speaking or even typing in a language other than English while on campus. Their mornings are filled with intensive English- language instruction, followed by afternoons of workshops exploring sports, acting, music and job preparation skills. Cultural activites in the Lower Mainland round out their BC experience and give them a good sense of what it’s like to live in this province. For more information about hiring a Young Canada Works exchange student this summer, contact Swanson at swansonk@douglas.be.ca or by calling 604-527-5175. Douglas College Languages at Work Students are ready to work and learn English this summer in BC. so Sine Psychiatric Nurse Educators gather at Douglas College College President Susan Witter addressed attendees at the Psychiatric Nurse Educators conference held May 16 and 17 at the New Westminster Campus. The conference focused on the exploration of diversity in psychiatric nursing education. Participants came from Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and throughout BC. The plenary speakers were Dr. John Cutcliffe, Associate Professor of Nursing at UNBC and Dr. Vicki Greenslade, Senior Nursing Consultant, Health Policy Canada. Several Douglas College faculty presented graduate-related research, which was truly inspiring. Anna Helewka, Mike Tarko and the curriculum committee are to be commended for a most successful conference.