Victorian Government has announced additional funding to support international students.
Melbourne City Football Club joined the Victoria Police and international students on the soccer pitch in July to celebrate the announcement of 19 new projects worth more than $850,000 to support Victoria’s international student community. Minister for Trade and Investment, The Hon Philip Dalidakis, joined all involved for the announcement followed by a spectacular penalty shootout.
The new projects form part of the International Student Welfare Program (ISWP), one of many initiatives supporting the high-quality student experience that makes Victoria one of the best student cities in the world. This latest round of funding increases the number of supported projects up to 65. The additional funding supports projects that target common issues experienced by international students such as homesickness, social isolation and lack of awareness of legal protections and emergency services.
One of the key projects funded is run by the Melbourne City Football Club’s community foundation, City in the Community. Using the popularity of soccer in a World Cup year, the project aims to help students to build resilience, social connections and good health.
The soccer match, in celebration of the World Cup final, promoted harmony and cooperation between the Victoria Police and the international student community.
With a free BBQ, all students in attendance had the opportunity to meet and engage with members of the police force and the Melbourne City Football Club in an informal setting.
