We are volunteers who help international students.
ISMP is a nonprofit. We pair each student with a volunteer mentor, and the two of them keep meeting for as long as it helps.
What is ISMP?
ISMP is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We run workshops and one-on-one or small-group mentorship, all of it by unpaid volunteers, and there is no fee to join. ISMP is built on Christian values, and all of our mentors are Christians. Their faith is what motivates them to volunteer and invest in the lives of international students.
What you work on together is practical: study habits, practicing everyday conversation in English including small talk, a resume someone reads with you, and the ordinary parts of living here that you would otherwise work out alone. You will also talk about character, relationships and leadership. Every international student is welcome.
Beside you at every step.
- ArriveThe first week, the paperwork, the loneliness nobody warned you about.
- StudyOffice hours, American classrooms, talking to professors.
- WorkWriting a resume, looking for a job, and starting one.
- BelongA home-cooked meal, people to lean on, a place you fit.
Universities, Campus Programs, and the Communities Around Them
We run workshops inside university programs, take part in campus-wide events, and volunteer with the community organizations around them. ISMP is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and there is no fee to a school or to a student.
Computer Science ProgramWorkshops and practice interviewsNortheastern’s Khoury College was the first college in the U.S. dedicated to the field of computer science. On top of being international students who have made the bold decision to pursue their studies in a foreign country, many of the Computer Science master’s students we mentor at Khoury College come from academic and professional backgrounds in disciplines very different from computer science.
At ISMP, we see the challenges our mentees face, and we show up to support them. We host workshops that focus on the unwritten rules of the job search—things that may not be taught in a classroom but can make a meaningful difference in a student’s career journey.
Our workshops cover practical skills such as how to introduce yourself in 30 seconds at a job fair, what American employers are listening for during an interview, and how to communicate your experience with confidence. Most importantly, we sit down with our mentees and give them the opportunity to practice their interview answers in a supportive environment.
Volunteering in OaklandEarth Day at the Memorial GardenThe North Hills Community Association is an all-volunteer nonprofit in the hills above Oakland. Since 2015 it has taken care of two public gardens for the city, and the Oakland City Council has honored it for the work. ISMP came for Earth Day 2026 and spent the morning cleaning up the Firestorm Memorial Garden with the people who look after it. About twenty-five volunteers came in all. Eight of the mentors there had been international students themselves.
University Health ServicesLevel Up CampEvery March, University Health Services hosts Connections at Berkeley, a week that invites the entire campus to slow down and reconnect—to yourself, to each other, and to something bigger. Departments and student groups fill the week with events that anyone can walk into and join.
As part of that week, ISMP hosted a three-day Level Up Camp over spring break. More than fifty students joined us to learn the practical life skills that no class covers: how to maintain a car, cook a meal, safely use power tools, build something with your own hands, keep a home clean, and tackle a big job without feeling overwhelmed by where to start.
Level Up Camp was about more than learning practical skills. It was about giving students the confidence to take on the things that life inevitably asks us to figure out for ourselves.
More about Connections at Berkeley
Why our mentors volunteer.
ISMP is built on Christian values, and all of our mentors are Christians. Their faith is what motivates them to volunteer and invest in the lives of international students.
What a mentor and student do together is practical and personal. It might mean learning how to talk to a professor, practicing everyday conversations in English, experiencing a first Thanksgiving, or working on a résumé when the time comes.
There is no requirement to be Christian to participate. Every international student is welcome.
Our board of directors.
ISMP is guided by volunteers who are professors, engineers, lawyers and other professionals.
Students on their time with ISMP.
“I've had a wonderful experience with ISMP, from cultural celebrations and hands-on workshops to group trips and other community activities. These experiences have helped me improve my English, learn new skills, and feel more confident communicating with others.”
“ISMP has truly felt like a second home. Together, we've shared holidays, traditions, and food from so many different cultures. Welcome to the family!”
“ISMP is where you can surprisingly find your community with people who are willing to get to know about you. … ISMP becomes an important part of my life after my first semester in the US.”
“I felt uncertain and anxious coming into a new environment, not knowing anyone. … The advice from my mentor Andrew that stuck with me is to never be afraid to take the initiative and contact others.”
“Mentors are incredibly friendly and helpful. They gave me fantastic advice and really helped me adjust to life at UNC.”
“ISMP is a nice place to start your college life! Mentors are helping the international students with understanding American culture. Even a shy student can make friends in this community.”
Someone here remembers what it feels like to be new.
Send us your campus and your year. Someone will write back.
Apply to get a mentor