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HOST AN EXCHANGE STUDENT
You and your family can learn first-hand what life was like behind the Iron Curtin, and what Bosnia is really all about. Students are available from more than 50 different countries including Ru sia, Germany, Poland, Croatia, Latvia, Romania, France, Italy, Japan, China, Australia, and Brazil just to name a few.
These students are boys and girls between the ages of 15 and 18 who want to go to
school in North Georgia and experience the American Culture.
IEF, founded in 1981, is an American non-profit educational and cultural organization,
arranging for young people from all over the world to visit and live in American homes
while attending high sch ol. You can get more detail information about IEF in North
Georgia by contacting Sandra Gosnold (email
"ricknet@inde.com", or Telephone: 706-295-0431, or regula mail at: 5 Barnesdale
Way, N.E., Rome, GA 30161). The IEF national office is located at: P.O. Box 460M, Bay
Shore, New York 11706. Phone: 1-800-356-8818.
OK, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SPECIFICS ABOUT THE EXCHANGE STUDENT
PROGRAM?
What does it cost? Nothing, there are no fees.
Do these students speak English? Yes. Each student must acquire excellent English language skills before being considered for the program. You do not have to have any foreign language skills of your own. While here, these students are required to attend school and maintain a minimum of a "C" average.
What about the student's expenses? Students are responsible for all travel documents, air transportation to and from the United States, and personal spending money. Each student is required to have a minimum of $150 per month expense money to cover such things as entertainment, activity fees, clothing, school supplies and personal toliteries.
What about insurance & health care? Each student is 100% covered with no deductibles.
Do I get paid for hosting a student? No. However, there is a federal tax deduction you may claim.
Do I get a choice of a boy or girl and do I have a choice of a country? Yes. Not only do you get to choose between a boy or girl and country, you will get to review n merous profiles of the available students and read specific information about each. Things included in the students profile are the students Picture, Name, Age, Parents name age & occupation(s), st dents interests, and a letter from each the student and the parents telling why that student wants to be an exchange student and a little about their family.
Is there not anything I have to provide? Only your home and family. The student is expected to adhere to the same rules and perform the same chores your children do. The only specific requirement that the host family must provide is an individual bed for the student. However, the student may share a room with your children which is quite often the case.
I'd like to host but I don't have any children or they're too young presently. Nonsense! you do not have to have children of your own in order to host and it has b en our experience that the younger children enjoy having an exchange student even more that of teenagers in the host family. Also, single parents are eligible to host.
How long will the student be here? There are three programs, 3 month, 5 month, and 10 month which is a full academic school year. The 3 month program begins in Aug st when school begins and ends shortly before Thanksgiving. The 5 month program can be either the first half or the second half of the school year. That is either August - December or January - Ma . The most popular program is the academic school year program which is from August - May.
What if I decide to host and things just don't work out? An IEF coordinator in your area is there for you 24 hours a day everyday while the student is with you for any questions or problems that may arise. If for any reason things just don't work out, you will not be stuck with the student. IEF will place the student with another family usually in another area o even state.
Are the students allowed to drive? No, nor are they allowed to smoke or drink while on the program.