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Cultural Connections

Cultural Connections is an exchange student club that aims to better integrate international students into the Loyola community.    

Making the transition to the U.S. from another country can be overwhelming and intimidating to students. By bringing together current Loyola students with incoming internationals, we hope to create long lasting friendships and support systems that are of mutual benefit to the students.

Joining Cultural Connections is a great way to meet new people, learn about different cultures and possibly practice a foreign language!

Our events are planned to give students an opportunity to experience something important to our city, region and culture as Americans. We have gone on Swamp Tours, attended Mardi Gras and St. Patrick's Day parades as well as planned group dinners and BBQ's in previous semesters.

The Cultural Connections program matches up small groups of current Loyola students and new international students.

  • In your group you will have the opportunity to make friends while also exploring New Orleans and Louisiana.
  • Each month, Cultural Connections typically plans a large event, such as a swamp tour, and a small event, such as a movie.
  • You can also plan your own social events with other people in your small group, such as going out to eat or going for a walk in Audubon Park.

All new international students are automatically Cultural Connections members for their first semester.

If you are a current Loyola student:

  • You can apply to be member of Cultural Connections by filling out the Cultural Connections application. Your application will be reviewed and you will then be notified whether you have been selected.
  • Each Cultural Connections group will have one advisory board member. You can apply to serve on the advisory board by filling out the Cultural Connections application. The advisory board meets once a month to plan activities. Advisory board members also help to coordinate and plan activities within their small group.

Joining Cultural Connections is a one semester commitment. You must reapply each semester to remain active in the group and ensure that you are matched with a group of international and Loyola students.

Before the semester starts, you will participate in a short training to understand how you can best help international students adjust to being here at Loyola and in the U.S.

During the semester, you are committing to do at least two activities each month with your small group. These activities can be the ones organized by Cultural Connections or activities that you organize on your own.

Each small group will have one advisory board member, who will meet once a month with representatives from each of the other groups to plan the larger monthly activities. Advisory board members also help to coordinate and plan activities within their small groups.

Spring 2021

JANUARY

  • Jan 19 @ 2-5pm - Welcome Basket Pickups @ CIE (Mercy 301)

  • Jan 23 @ 2:30pm - Café du Monde Outing

  • Jan 28 @ 12:30pm - Coffee @ CIE - Carnival in Brazil Musical Performance & Talk

  • Jan 28 - Feb 3 Sundance Film Festival @ Broad Theater

FEBRUARY

  • Feb 5th @ 12-3pm King Cake Tasting/ Meet & Greet

  • Feb 6th - Nola Scavenger Hunt

  • Feb 12 @ 12-3pm King Cake Tasting 

  • Eat Nola - Jake’s Seafood

  • Krewe of Houses 

MARCH

  • Eat Nola - Mo’s Pizza 

  • International Soirée

  • Kayaking at John Brown Park

APRIL

  • Crawfish Boil

  • Archery at John Brown Park 

  • Grill Out

  • International Dinner in Buddig

MAY

  •  End of the Year Party

**Note: All events without dates will be announced at a later date and are subject to change due to COVID restrictions and/or updates.

Want to learn about other ways to get involved?

Follow Cultural Connections on Instagram!