By Sabine Eastham, Director, International Student Program, LWC
COLUMBIA, KY - Lindsey Wilson College/International Student Programs is seeking area families to sign on as host parents for fall 2019.
We are looking for area families to participate in LWC's "International Friendship Program" and serve as host families for LWC's international students.
The liberal arts college usually has an enrollment of about 100 international students from more than 36 countries during an academic year. The "International Friendship Program" matches international students with area families who are willing to host the students during the school year.
When area families get involved with our international students, they become part of a ripple effect; they play a big part in introducing international students to American life. Sharing local and family traditions with international students will help them understand what America is all about. They are young, they are here in Columbia, and they are eager to learn about American life beyond the college campus. Becoming a host family means also that you will bring another culture into your home, open your own children's eyes to the wider world and feel a sense of pride in sharing your traditions.
Host families do not house international students. Rather they agree to have regular contact with the students throughout the school year. It usually involves having them to your house a few times a year for a meal or special event and checking in on them periodically to make sure they are adjusting to American life. When our college's international students return to their home country, they will tell their family all about America and what they have found here in Columbia with their host family.
For more information about LWC's international student host family program, contact Sabine Eastham at easthams@lindsey.edu or 270-384-8236.