Columbia Northwest Rotary is seeking applications from families who are interested in hosting an exchange student from another country for approximately 3 ½ months during the 2012-2013 school year. Three families will be selected to participate in the program.

Host Family Qualifications:

Be willing to provide an environment of love and caring to an inbound student from another country. All types of families can make excellent hosts. Families with teenage children are the most common; however, families with younger children, single parent families and families without children can provide a variety of positive experiences for exchange students as well. Northwest club members are encouraged to apply; however, club membership is not required. Members are encouraged to pass along information to adult children, friends and family.

Exchange Student Background:

• Wants to experience American culture and life with an American family
• Aged 15 to 19
• Speaks limited to fluent English
• Carries full medical insurance
• Will attend local high school and be expected to function as a normal student

Host Family Responsibilities

• Make the student welcome as a member of your family. Treat him/her as you would your own child
• Provide room and board for your exchange student
• Exercise general parental supervision over the student
• Involve student in daily family activities and chores
• Help student achieve language mastery
• Provide a safe and caring environment for the student

Hosting Period

• The student will arrive in mid-August, 2012 and stay into June, 2013
• Host the student for about a 3 ½ month period during the school year
• Student will have 3 different families over the course of the school year
• Student can be removed from the home at Host Parent discretion in the event of irreconcilable differences

Student Expenses

• Northwest Rotary will provide a monthly allowance to the student
• Parents frequently provide a credit card for the student
• Student will bring an emergency fund to be managed by the Rotary counselor
• Any additional allowance or expenses would be at Host Parents’ discretion

Rotary Oversight and Assistance

Rotary District 6080 and Columbia NW Rotary will be responsible for all coordination and paperwork related to getting the student, transportation to and from the U.S. and oversight of the student’s health and welfare. District 6080 Youth Exchange staff have a great deal of experience and a wealth of information relating to youth exchange.  Columbia NW Rotary will appoint a counselor to provide complete oversight of the student, as well as, assistance and support to the student during the student’s stay in the U.S. The counselor will, also, provide orientation training, assistance, support and serve as a general resource for host families.

Club assistance to host families could include a number of things such as occasional transportation or even short term (i.e. weekend to a week) housing assistance in the event of host family travel conflicts.

Benefits

• The opportunity to share your home and love with a person from another country
• The opportunity to learn about another culture from the hosted student
• Develop a life-long friendship with a person from another country
• Participate in Rotary efforts to promote friendship and understanding between nations
• Help your children learn a new language

Contact Information

If your family would like further information  about the opportunity to share your home and love with a youth from another country contact Greg Mattli ( NW Rotary inbound chair)  at (573) 864-7412 or gregmattli@gmail.com.

Online informational resources:             

www.columbianw.org  www.rotary6080.org      www.scrye.org