EF High School Exchange Year, the leader in high school cultural exchange, is seeking host families in the Hood River area. Host families open their homes to a 15-18 year old from countries around the world who come to the U.S. to attend one or two semesters of high school. Through the exchange experience, both student and family get the chance to learn about a new culture and potentially establish a lifelong bond.
Hosting an exchange student is a volunteer program supported by the U.S. Department of State and is a great step towards preparing your own children for the 21st century. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that “the goodwill, generosity, and mutual understanding fostered through exchange programs are critical to meeting the challenges of today’s world. Such citizen diplomacy may start with one visiting student and his or her host family but it ripples throughout communities in the United States and abroad.”
There are few experiences that can spark interest in new cultures like welcoming an international student into your home. “Serving as a host family allows Americans to share their culture and customs, and also learn about another country for a true cultural exchange and becoming lifelong friends and family,” said Leslie Melby, the EF High School Exchange Year local coordinator responsible for placing and supervising EF students in the Hood River area. She has two great young ladies who need homes: one from Germany one is from Japan.
EF Foundation host families represent the diversity of American culture. Some host families have teens, while others have young children or no children, or adult children who no longer live at home. Host families express many reasons for participating in the program. Some are looking for new ways to connect to their communities, while gaining fresh perspectives on the world; others seek exposure to other cultures for themselves and their children.
EF Foundation is supporting the United States foreign policy goal of expanding communications between U.S. citizens and people from other countries. Along with EF High School Exchange Year fulltime professional staff, local coordinators in the community match students with host families, enroll the students in high school, and provide students, schools, and host families with ongoing guidance and support throughout the exchange experience.
Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., EF High School Exchange Year has been committed to promoting international understanding and global awareness for over 30 years. Since 1979, the organization has matched more than 100,000 enthusiastic students from around the world with caring host families across the United States. EF High School Exchange Year is designated by the United States Department of State as an Exchange Program Sponsor.
For more information about hosting an international exchange student, contact Leslie Melby at leslieefexchange@gorge.net or 541-490-5617, or visit the EF High School Exchange Year website at www.efexchangeyear.org.
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