Cultural Immersion Program Coordinator: Tate Quinones
Practice enhances learning. The purpose of the ELI Cultural Immersion Program is to create opportunities for practice and to make activities fun so that students will want to practice. Student life at the ELI is an experience you will never forget! Follow the CIP on Instagram @UFLELI.
Cultural Immersion Program Mission Statement
The mission of the Cultural Immersion Program is to facilitate cross-cultural experiences, connections, and relationships for our students through extracurricular activities, practice-oriented English classes, and the Conversation Partner Program and to provide ample opportunity to practice English outside the classroom in an enjoyable and low-stress environment.
We are committed to providing our students with interactive experiences that immerse them in US culture through trips and events and build their confidence in navigating daily life in English through the structured yet informal Language Assistant (LA) class.
The CIP aims to foster intercultural friendships within both the ELI student body and the wider UF community through connections built with LAs and conversation partner volunteers at our events and in our programs.
The CIP is also committed to supporting the intercultural competency of UF students hired as Language Assistants through training, mentorship, and professional development. We strive to provide a supportive workplace centered on empowerment, growth, collaboration, and respect.
Weekday Activities
Most weekdays there will be something to do after your classes are finished. Weekly sports and activities are organized by the Language Assistants. The Language Assistants are your English speaking peers. They meet with students in the evenings to do many different things. The activities change every semester based on the students’ interests. All of these activities are fun and will help you practice real-life English.
| Day | Location | Time | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday Coffee Talk | Panera on Archer Rd | 6:30pm-9:00pm | Come get coffee or dinner and socialize in English with ELI friends and LAs! |
| Tuesday Volleyball | Lexington Crossing Apartments Phase 2 | 6:30pm-9:00pm | Play volleyball for some fun competition with students and LAs! |
| Wednesday Soccer | Flavet Field | 6:30pm-9:00pm | Come play soccer with your ELI friends! |
| Rotating Thursdays | Various Locations | 6:30pm-9:00pm | Hang out with ELI friends at different cool spots around Gainesville each week! See the Weekly for this week's location! |
| Reitz Game Room | Reitz Union | 6:30pm-9:00pm | See all the fun activities UF has planned for students! Games, food, crafts, movies, and more! Enjoy with ELI friends! |
Weekend Activities
There is a lot to do in Florida! The weather is beautiful and there are many attractions across the state. Each weekend the Cultural Immersion Program plans a trip for the whole ELI. There are three types of trips: tourist spots, cultural events, and outdoor activities. For example, a trip to a tourist spot could be Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL or Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL. A cultural trip could be to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral or an arts festival. An outdoor trip could be to go horseback riding or to go canoeing and snorkeling at one of the famous springs in the area. There will usually be one Language Assistant for every five students on a trip. The weekend activities let you learn about places in the US and practice your English while Language Assistants act as tour guides.
| January 18 | Welcome Picnic | UF Campus - Norman Lawn | Come meet fellow students and your teachers and play some games to get to know each other! Free food! |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 25 | Hoggetowne Medieval Faire | Depot Park | Experience this magical weekend event that transforms Gainesville’s Depot Park into a vibrant medieval village, featuring artisans, live performances, stage combat, and royal knighting ceremonies. Free event. |
| February 1 & 2 | Volunteer Weekend | Various Locations | Help serve the unsheltered population of Gainesville! Also help with service dogs or retired horses at various non-profit organizations! |
| February 8 | Silver Springs Boat Tour | Silver Springs State Park | Discover the natural wonders of Silver Springs State Park with a guided glass-bottom boat tour! Immerse yourself in breathtaking Florida nature and rich wildlife as you glide through crystal-clear waters. Tickets for purchase at the gate. |
| February 15 | Gator Basketball Game | UF Campus - O'Dome | See the Gators play basketball against South Carolina! Wear orange and blue and be ready to cheer for UF during this exciting, fast-paced sport! Tickets for purchase from CIP Office. |
| February 22 | Strawberry Festival | Amber Brooke Farms | Experience a beautiful Florida farm and pick strawberries with ELI friends. There are farm games, food vendors, and even a pie-eating competition for this seasonal celebration! Tickets for purchase at the gate. |
| March 1 | B-term Welcome Picnic | UF Campus - Norman Lawn | Come meet B-term students and teachers and socialize! Free food! |
| March 8 | Saturday Market & Hike | Haile Plantation Farmers Market & Sweetwater Wetlands Park. | See the cozy neighborhood of Haile and enjoy food, crafts, flowers and more for sale at their Saturday Farmers Market! Then go to the local nature preserve for a short hike where you can see wild alligators! |
| March 29 | Busch Gardens | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Spend a full day in this Florida theme park full of thrills! Try some of the best rollercoasters in the country and check out the amazing zoo animals! Bus tickets can be purchased from the CIP office and theme park tickets can be purchased online. |
| April 5 | Rainbow Springs | Rainbow Springs State Park | As the warm weather arrives, get ready to swim in the cool, crystal waters of beautiful rainbow springs! Hike some of the trails and enjoy the outdoor space with friends! |
| April 18 | End of Semester BBQ | Lake Wauburg | Celebrate the end of the semester with ELI friends at beautiful Lake Wauburg where you can kayak for a small fee! Free lunch provided. |
Volunteer Program
Volunteering is very popular in the United States. A lot of people spend time helping other people. For example, they visit the elderly at nursing homes, they take care of children at nurseries, or they may build houses for people who cannot afford to buy one. At the ELI, we help our students volunteer for five reasons:
- To help other people
- To get experience in your professional field
- To learn about US culture
- To meet people from the United States
- To practice speaking English!
After you decide what you want to do, the Language Assistants and the Volunteer Coordinator will help you organize your volunteer time. Each semester we offer a volunteer of the term award to the ELI student who has made the greatest contribution to the Gainesville community through volunteering. One day each semester, the whole ELI gets together to volunteer. Volunteering is an experience you will never forget.
Conversation Partner Program
The Conversation Partner Program is a popular part of the ELI Volunteer Program. It is a chance for UF students to meet one on one with a student at the ELI. Volunteers are matched with interested ELI students. The partners then meet for about an hour a week, spending at least half of the time conversing in English. Sometimes the partner who speaks English is trying to learn the native language of the ELI student. If they are, the partners will spend about half of the time speaking in that language. If you would like more information about the Conversation Partner Program, please email us.