In this episode of the Switchboard Podcast's series, "The Role of Technology in Resettlement," we delve into how artificial intelligence (AI) can play a pivotal role in enhancing digital literacy and improving outcomes for newly arrived refugees. Our expert guests share practical insights on integrating AI tools into resettlement programs, explorin…

Serving clients and providing case management is at the heart of refugee service provision. Providing client-centered services requires more than a certain attitude and an ethical stand; client-centered practices are also a skill set. But what does this term actually mean? What is the logic behind centering the client in our resettlement services, …

This podcast offers valuable resources, training, communities of practice, and programmatic assistance to programs funded by ORR and those serving ORR-eligible populations. This is part 2 of 4 digital inclusion episodes. In today's episode, host Krysti Nellermoe explores the topic of digital inclusion, emphasizing how service providers can help new…

Welcome to the Switchboard Podcast! Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for organizations in the United States that provide services to Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-eligible newcomers. Switchboard offers a library of learning resources, an online evidence database, on-demand self-paced e-learning courses, regular live learning opportunit…

Welcome to the Switchboard Podcast. Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the United States, funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. We provide resources, training, communities of practice, and programmatic assistance for programs funded by the ORR. This episode features a conversation with Nao Kabashima, co-…

Welcome to the Switchboard Podcast. Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the United States, funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. We provide resources, training, communities of practice, and programmatic assistance for programs funded by the ORR. This episode features a conversation with Carissa Chantiles …

Welcome to the Switchboard Podcast. Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the United States, funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. We provide resources, training, communities of practice, and programmatic assistance for programs funded by the ORR. This episode features a conversation with Megan Rafferty, Sw…

Welcome to the Switchboard Podcast. Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the United States, funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. We provide resources, trainings, communities of practice, and programmatic assistance for programs funded by the ORR. This episode features a conversation with Rob Callus and Ma…

Welcome to the Switchboard Podcast. Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the United States, funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. We provide resources, trainings, communities of practice, and programmatic assistance for programs funded by the ORR. This episode features a conversation with Meg Gibbon, Switc…

Av Switchboard

In the final episode of this season of Switchboard, we catch up with some of the sporting community in Cambridge to talk about all things Varsity competitions. From boxing to taekwondo and women's blues football we learn about the preparations for the competition against Oxford and what it's like balancing work with training. We also hear from our …

This week, Switchboard celebrates International Women’s Day by sitting down with women of Cambridge and chatting about the projects, campaigns, and art they are part of, as well as all the ways they work to empower women and work towards gender equality. With the special addition of a live reading of a poem, and three brilliant guests, this episode…

In this episode, we learn about various student campaigns around Cambridge. We hear about the U Bus Campaign to increase accessibility around the city for different colleges, Cambridge Period Project in their fight against period poverty in the university and beyond, and the Demilitarise Cambridge campaign aimed to shed light on the university inve…

In a slightly different format than previous episodes this season, Liv and Izzy sit down with a group of vegan and veggie Cambridge students, to hear about a variety of experiences with bringing a plant-based lifestyle to uni. Tune in for a panel-style discussion about cooking in college gyps, ways college dining halls could do better, and recipe f…

...or, The Queer, The Corporate, and The Christian. In this episode, we dive into what Valentine's Day really means, who it's for (and who is left out), and how people are celebrating their love outside of the heteronormative imagining of February 14th. This one is a heart-warmer; stories of love, joyful first dates, and nonromantic expressions of …

Just in time for the start of Pink Week 2022 (and the Pink Week Ball happening tonight, Feb 5!!) comes an episode about the history of Pink Week, from its conception years ago to its resounding success today. Our very own host, Liv, is Pink Week President this year, so she gives us the scoop on what Pink Week really is, and how she's managed to bal…

In the first episode of a brand new season of Switchboard, our hosts Liv and Izzy bring you student voices from across the university reflecting on and chatting about their experiences throughout the past two years. Tune in to hear from Yasmin, Tara, and Ayomide as they unpack their covid considerations, plus a special treat at the end in collabora…

This two-part podcast series features a conversation between Rishan Habte, Program Officer for Economic Empowerment at Switchboard and Khalid Ahmadzai, Director of Economic Advancement at Canopy Northwest Arkansas. In this episode, they discuss microlending; how participants are selected for the Canopy Northwest entrepreneurship program; success st…

This two-part podcast series features a conversation between Rishan Habte, Program Officer for Economic Empowerment at Switchboard and Khalid Ahmadzai, Director of Economic Advancement at Canopy Northwest Arkansas. Khalid shares his story of growing up in Kabul, Afghanistan; his own experiences of entrepreneurship; and how he created the existing m…

To close out the term, and the academic year, Izzy, and guest host (and Varsity head editor!) Liz Haigh sit down with the previous four hosts of Switchboard to reflect on the past year and their time as producers and hosts of the podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/switchboard/message…

Izzy and her guest host Laleh Bergman Hossain chat about their experiences with online exams and hear about a variety of different exam conditions across the university, as well as some predictions and opinions about exams going forward. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/switchboard/message…

Izzy and her guest host Alex Oxford discuss the North/South divide and how this affects the Cambridge experience, exploring both the UK and Italy. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/switchboard/message

Listen to Izzy and her guest host Ted chat with LGBT+ identifying students about their experiences in Cambridge, as well as the work they and others are doing in various spaces around Cambridge to make the university and the city all the more accepting! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/switchboard/message…

Izzy and her guest host Inika Murumbi take a look at the impact of the Indian Covid Crisis for Cambridge and its students, and how we have been doing what we can to support those suffering most in this time... --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/switchboard/message

This episode features host Kay Bellor interviewing Henny Ohr, Founder and Executive Director, Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center (EMBARC) Iowa. They discuss the challenges experienced by EMBARC during the COVID-19 pandemic including providing essential services to clients while protecting staff and how the refugee resettlement …

Izzy and her guest host Nora Redmond discuss spirituality and faith both inside and outside the Cambridge bubble. From the Christian Union to Mindfulness, the duo discuss the different experiences of students either finding religion at university or feeling more detached from it. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/…

As it's Mental Health Awareness Week, Izzy and her guest host Libby Warr take stock of mental health in the last year. With interviews from students, researchers and Cambridge helplines, the episode reflects on the past and looks forward to the future. Special thanks to the interviewed guests: Alicia, Jessica, Natalie and Cat! All resources mention…

In our first new episode of the series, new host Izzy and her guest host Theola discuss the highs and lows of this year's Lent term. We spoke to Ashlan, an Executive officer and soon-to-be president of Cambridge RAG, who spoke to us about organising virtual events and the incredible ways that the Cambridge community were helping others while also s…

This episode features host Kay Bellor interviewing Dr. Hayder Allkenhfr, Refugee Health Coordinator at the Utah Department of Health. They discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies used by Dr. Allkenhr and his team to build robust testing infrastructure, equitable access to vaccines, and effective communication approaches. This episode is part t…

This episode features host Kay Bellor interviewing Hans Van de Weerd, Vice President of Resettlement, Asylum, and Integration at the International Rescue Committee. They discuss challenges of the past few years including the dramatic reduction of the U.S. resettlement program, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the continuing reality of racial disparities.…

In our final episode of Season 6, we reflected on the last year and our hopes for the roadmap. We were grateful to have Alex, a member of the Switchboard Team, share an honest account of her recent experiences, which presented their own challenges independent of the impact of Covid-19. We hope this highlights that the past year has been difficult f…

Inspired by our own quarter-life-crises, we searched out current Cambridge post-graduates. We wanted to ask them what they were doing when they were our age and how they chose their post-graduate studies. This episode has lots of helpful advice on how to think about post-graduate education from funding to life plans. Thanks to Ellie Bladon, Grayson…

This week's episode celebrates LGBTQ+ History Month! We chatted to Cam FM Queer Hour, a student talk-show covering topics across all corners of the LGBT+ community. They've produced episodes on lesbian motherhood in the 70s, the Lavender Scare and the Canadian fruit machine this month! We chatted with Elliot, Medwards Trans and Non-binary Officer, …

Love in lockdown --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/switchboard/message

We must confess.. we've spent far too long scrolling through Facebook. But is this really such a waste of time? In this week's episode, Amber and Eliza explore the goods and ills of Cambridge confession pages and consider how their role has changed during Covid-19. We chatted with the anonymous admins of Kindbridge, Worldbridge and ADCbridge (who w…

Here with a *fresh* new episode, Amber and Eliza take us back to March 2020 when Y13s across the country had their A Level exams cancelled by lockdown. Current offer holders might be able to empathise and older years will certainly be curious. We heard a range of experiences from current Cambridge freshers of what it was like to start uni with Covi…

In response to Episode 10 of series 4 ‘Creativity in Crisis’, Eliza and Amber examine whether the arts scene during lockdown is quite so bleak. They chat with theatre veterans Jonathan Powell and Jasper Cresdee Hyde about the ADC Online Season. Considering another prominent feature of the Cambridge art scene, Amber chatted with Johnny Cresswell, th…

As we enter the first week of a remote Lent term, Switchboard is helping you stay tuned to the needs of your mind and body during lockdown! This episode, Amber and Eliza are speaking to Kit Treadwell (representing Student Minds) and Lucy Patchett (one of Varsity’s sports editors) about the importance of feeling physically and mentally fit during th…

Amber and Eliza chat to V-C Toope on everything from Safety Net provision to the new Foundation Year to hear how Cambridge is preparing for another online term. The brilliant music for this episode was generously provided by Colonel Spanky’s Love Ensemble and a new track from Katrina Rose brought to you by the Cam FM show New Music Cambridge. Unlik…

Happy New Year to all and welcome to the podcast version of the Cambridge Pret Queue! A new (albeit virtual) term means a new season of Switchboard with a brand new team, here to introduce themselves and share their first episode. Amber and Eliza (this term’s hosts) open by discussing Michaelmas in all its odd glory, speaking to students from Medwa…

For Switchboard’s final episode of the season, hosts Isabel and Maddy explore the impact the coronavirus crisis has had on creative endeavours, asking those involved in Cambridge’s creative scene what it was like working in the arts during such challenging times. The hosts begin by speaking to Alex Haydn-Williams and Cate Horne from BAIT, a termly …

Content note: This episode contains mentions of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. Nine months after the investigation into the mishandling of sexual assault complaints by senior members of college staff at Trinity Hall was published, the hosts ask, has anything changed? (0:38). Switchboard talks to an anonymous student from Homerton college ab…

In the wake of Cambridge University’s commitment to fully divest from fossil fuels by 2030 and the announcement earlier this week that Trinity Hall will divest from direct investments in fossil fuels within the next six months, Switchboard speaks to campaigners to investigate how they achieved this goal, and to outline the next steps. To start off …

This week, hosts Issy Roberts and Maddy Fisher tackle student mental health at Cambridge, in a term where the start of the notoriously difficult week five coincides with the start of a month-long national lockdown. Switchboard talks to the BME campaign’s mental health and disabilities officer Elia Chitwa about their experiences of poor mental healt…

In a series of interviews by hosts Maddy and Isabel, Switchboard shines a spotlight on the homeless experience, investigating council policy and speaking to students involved in volunteer outreach programs. This week’s episode begins with Angel, a homeless man who has been living on the streets in Cambridge. He talks openly with Isabel and Maddy ab…

This week, Isabel and Maddy speak to students and staff at Cambridge involved in the campaign to decolonise the University, as well as talking to those pushing the government for national educational reform. The episode begins with Jazaal Babar, who is one of the Cambridge SU BME Campaign’s Education Officers. He discusses what the movement to deco…

This week, Isabel and Maddy speak to Freshers’ reps about the difficulties of organising Fresher’s week during a pandemic, as well as speaking to some first years about the experience of starting at Cambridge amidst COVID-19. To start off the episode we hear from Suzi, who is the first-year representative at St Catherine’s. She talks through the is…

In this week’s episode, hosts Isabel and Maddy take a closer look at ‘the refugee crisis’, hearing the real life stories behind the headlines, and speaking to the organisations Cambridge students have been involved with that are trying to aid the situation. The hosts talk to Cambridge Alumnus Milan Vrućinić about his experience as a refugee, fleein…

Switchboard is back for episode two; this week, hosts Maddy and Isabel take a look at how the coronavirus pandemic will affect Cambridge student life in the coming year amid growing concerns about the opening of universities. Switchboard asks: What are the university’s guidelines? Are they compatible with government advice? And how does the pandemi…

Varsity’s Switchboard is back, spotlighting the issues directly affecting Cambridge students and bringing their voices to the forefront. In this episode, hosts Isabel and Maddy discuss the controversy surrounding A Level results day 2020. Talking to prospective undergraduates who felt cheated out of their places, Switchboard asks: what happened? Wh…