Each year ISO organizes a variety of activities to help its members learn about the many opportunities offered both locally and within the state of Minnesota.

Bemidji State University’s Gillette Recreation/Fitness Center is reserved for ISO on Friday nights between 9:00 and 11:00 pm. This is a great time to shoot baskets, play soccer, and get to know the other members of ISO. This is a free activity.

Many international students who come to BSU haven’t experienced the ice and snow of winter. ISO puts together trips to Buena Vista, a local ski area, so that everyone can learn about and take part in outdoor winter sports. These trips are reasonably priced, usually under $20.00 for ski rental and lift tickets. Transportation is provided by ISO.

Bloomington, Minnesota (a suburb of Minneapolis) is home to Mall of America, the largest indoor shopping center in the world. There are usually 2 trips to Mall of America each year, one early in the fall, and another in the spring. A fee us charged to each participant to help defray the cost of transportation (usually about $10.00).

Another activity that generally accompanies the trip to Mall of America is a side trip to the ethnic grocery stores of Minneapolis. This is a great chance to pick up hard-to-find spices and ingredients for favorite dishes.

Everybody likes to eat and food is a great motivator! Recently, ISO has hosted a welcoming picnic for new international students, a Christmas party for all ISO students (Come and have your picture taken with Santa Claus!), and a spring picnic for ISO graduates and their families. Often these are pot luck so that everyone is sure that they will be able to eat their favorite foods. ISO also provides some of the dishes to these free events.

This is just a partial listing of the activities sponsored by ISO. We welcome student ideas for new events.