Host families needed for international students

AYUSA, a non-profit organization that provides exchange opportunities to students from around the world, is looking for American families to host international students for the 2010-2011 school year. Students come from more than 60 countries, are fully insured, bring their own spending money, and are proficient in English.

Wisconsin is one of the top 10 states in the US that host foreign exchange students? According to the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel, last year only 62 Wisconsin students were sent abroad, but families in Wisconsin opened their homes up to more than 1,100 exchange students.

There is no “typical” American host family and AYUSA welcomes all interested families, with or without children from both urban and rural communities. Host families provide three meals a day and a bedroom, either private or shared. Each student is supported by a professionally trained community representative from AYUSA who works with the family and student for the entire program.

“Welcoming an international high school student into your home is a transformative experience, for the student, the host family, and the community,” said Sherry Carpenter, executive director of AYUSA. “At AYUSA, we believe that by empowering and inspiring students from around the world to understand and respect global cultures, we can create a peaceful international community.”

Every year, more than 28,000 international high school students ages 15-19 come to the U.S. to study as part of U.S. government-sponsored foreign exchange programs.

Families interested in learning more about hosting an exchange student can visit http://www.ayusa.org or call (888) 552-9872.

Tags: community, students, school, superior