This summer welcomed a new group of students to the Intensive English Institute (IEI) at UMaine from Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, and Ukraine. Because English language learning is so much more than being in the classroom, the institute works to provide additional cultural exchange, community building and community integration to its students.
IEI students toured the Orono Bog Boardwalk with Jerry Longcore, volunteer and leader. They learned about the local ecosystem, how local volunteer involvement creates community, and gained a whole new vocabulary. The group has also been out to explore the Orono’s Farmers Market, and took big leaps of faith with Maine Bound at the UMaine ropes course.
The Intensive English Institute is an English language program housed at UMaine. While many multilingual learners join IEI with the goal of entering a UMaine degree program, they also host exchange students from UMaine’s sister universities, students who have transferred from other universities, spouses and family members of faculty and visiting scholars, and community members wishing to build their English language skills. They also offer an option for students to join online, allowing them to welcome students who cannot physically be on campus.
Learn more about IEI and the students in the program here.