Host Families needed for foreign exchange students

By JACOB DORAN / Bigfork Eagle

For the many individuals and families in Flathead County who enjoy learning about other cultures and spending time with those who live in or hail from areas very different from our own, The Center for Cultural Interchange may provide the very experience you seek.

The Chicago-based foreign exchange student placement program wants to bring a number of foreign exchange students to the Flathead Valley and is seeking host families in Columbia Falls, Whitefish, Kalispell and the upper West Shore.

CCI places student from more than 40 different countries, who range in age from 15-18, many of whom have already gone through testing and have expressed a desire to come to western Montana.

The problem is that there is a general shortage of host families in the Flathead who are willingness to take those students in for four to nine months while they attend high school and gain exposure to the many geological and cultural offerings presented by our area.

Local CCI coordinator Cyndi Hendrick, who lives in Lakeside, says hosting a foreign exchange student can be a unique opportunity for families who want their children to benefit from their own exposure to different cultures and perspectives.

"By becoming a volunteer host family, you offer your family a learning experience that cannot be duplicated by any textbook," Hendrick says. "Sharing meals, traditions, and daily conversation with a CCI student will make you feel at home with what might have once been a completely unknown culture. Countries, languages and cultures come to life through the experience of cultural exchange!

"For people who haven't experienced it, I think it's a great thing to be a part of. People that I have talked to, who have participated in the program say it's life changing. The relationships can get pretty tight, and they become a part of your family, for sure."

As far as the responsibilities of a host family, Hendrick explained, the only requirement is that you can pass a background check and are willing to provide the student with room and board. The students do not even require their own room, as long as they have a place to study and a bed to sleep in.

Foreign exchange students have household responsibilities just like other kids and do not come without their own spending money, which they either raised themselves or received from their family. They also carry their own health and accident insurance, so there would be no liability for the host family.

While in the U.S., the students are encouraged to speak English. Since they have no license to drive in this country, they usually ride the school bus to and from school, although they may need transportation for extra curricular activities such as sports.

Hendrick added that students who come to the U.S. as foreign exchange students tend to be in a higher academic bracket and become involved in many different activities.

Families can even request an exchange student from a certain country or religious background, which they are particularly interested in and are comfortable with. Some families prefer only students from European countries because of the similarities to our own culture. However, others prefer to host a student whose cultural experiences are much different than their own.

According to Hendrick, there is no requirement concerning the size of the host family's house, income level or the number of children in the home. In fact, some parents whose children are grown and gone on to college like to host foreign exchange students because they enjoy the involvement in school, sports and other activities.

When there are still children in the home, Hendricks said she interviews the entirely family to ensure that it is something that the whole family wants to be involved in.

"If the entire family is not onboard, we do not place," she said. "We talk to the entire family, and want the whole family to be excited about it. It's very much is a family decision, right down to reading the biographies and discussing preferences."

CCI will place students in Kalispell, at Flathead and Glacier high schools, Bigfork, Whitefish and Columbia Falls, and also Stillwater Christian School.

"They all do take foreign exchange students, right now," Hendrick said. "Columbia Falls and Bigfork are both really eager, because it really does benefit the other students in the high school. When there are foreign exchange students walking the halls, the other students become good friends with them.

"It opens people up to the fact that we are all pretty much the same kind of people. They are just like we are, even though they come from different cultures, eat different foods and sometime dress a little different than we do. With everything that is going on oversees, we probably need that even more."

Hendrick said once a student has been matched with a host family, she supports them through the entire process, including an introduction and orientation

"They're not alone in doing this," she said. "I keep in contact with them the whole time and have regular meetings with them to find out if everything is going smoothly. I work with them all the way through."

CCI also arranges events for host families to take part in, which can include outing to the lake, barbeques, and any number of activities. Host families can participate in such events as a group and involve their exchange student. However, there is no obligation to participate.

Although CCI also places American students in other countries, Hendricks said her main focus for Flathead County at the present is to spark the interest of local families to participate in the program by hosting a foreign student.

Anyone who is interested in becoming a CCI host family or would like to learn more about the program may contact Cindy Hendrick at 406-844-3326 or email Cindy_Hendrick@hotmail.com.