This past year we have embarked on a new adventure & it has been one that will affect us for years to come! We were approached by a sweet fiddle playing lady about hosting a foreign exchange student. Any of you who know me, know that I was all over that one! I love to share what I have with people, especially when I know they want what I have! So within a few days we were scheduled to host a girl from Thailand. I soon found out that there were many, many more kids that were signed up, paid all their fees, and were just anxiously awaiting to be chosen from a host family. That's all it took for me to say, "Please let me take a second girl!" So a day later, we were also scheduled to host a girl from Austria. Much to my relief, 2 exchange students is the maximum amount of kids a household can host at one time, or we might have one from every country with us right now! I tend to go overboard at times :)
Around November of last year we were asked to be an IEC, International Exchange Coordinator, for the EF program, as the current IEC was moving out of the state. This involves keeping tabs on 5 of the kids currently in the area for the school year. We are in contact with the kids, their host parents & the schools they attend to make sure all parties involved are having the best experience possible. Let me just say, it has been a thrill to get to know so many kids from so many different countries! I love this job!
Now, the reason I am writing to you is to ask if you or anyone you know would be interested in hosting an exchange student for the 2010 school year. Tello & I have a designated area that we are in charge of, which is from Blackfoot to Preston and everything in between, Challis and the surrounding areas, and everything from Pocatello to Burley. So we have quite a large area to find host families. Anyplace else in Idaho we can still place, we just aren't the one's personally in charge of those schools.
Currently there are hundreds of foreign students anxiously waiting to be picked by a family to come spend a year in America!
Host families responsibilities include: Provide a room, meals, and a stable family environment. Undergo an application process, including an in-home interview, background check, and submission of personal references. More importantly, host parents take on the role of second parents for their exchange student.
The kids come over with their own spending money and pay for all of their own supplies, activities, fees, etc.
If you would like more information for yourself or if you know someone who might be interested in hosting an exchange student, please pass along this information & drop me a text, email or phone call! There are so many kids I already wish I could host for next year, but since I personally can’t take them all, I would love to place them in surrounding areas. For most of these kids, their greatest desire is to come to America! Will you help make their dreams come true?
Thank you in advance !
Tello & Joanna Baird
Tello / (208)339-0711 / tellobaird@gmail.com
Joanna / (208)681-4946 / joannabaird75@gmail.com
http://www.effoundation.org/
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