HURON-PERTH – The Avon Maitland District School Board’s International Education program is looking for support from households in Huron and Perth counties to provide homes for international secondary students for the 2021-22 school year.
In particular, there is a need for host families in the Mitchell and St. Marys areas.
Currently, the program is welcoming international students from countries as permitted by Canada’s strict COVID-19 protocols. These protocols enable a safe experience for students and homestay families.
The program uses profiles provided by local families to match international students with households. This allows students to be immersed in our communities where they enjoy a customized local cultural experience. The board’s homestay families provide a welcoming home and family atmosphere. Its coordinators, who live in these communities, provide support to coordinate with our host families, in guiding students in their academic studies, introducing them to local students and encouraging them to join after-school activities. They help students adjust to life in a new land and ensure homestay parents are informed of their progress regularly. The homestay families create a home away from home for our international students.
“Our unique homestay experience provides international students with a rich cultural experience and allows them to fully immerse themselves in our communities,” said Laura Marotta, superintendent of education (international education). “We are confident that the COVID-19 protocols (which are approved by the Ministry of Education) that we have in place will provide our students, and homestay families with a safe experience.”
To accommodate these students, the program is looking for support from households in Huron and Perth counties to provide homes for these students. For September, there is an immediate need for families in the Mitchell and St. Marys areas. Student enrollments can be short-term (three to four months or a semester) or a full year term.
Any interested families are asked to contact Shaun Morton at Shaun.Morton@ed.amdsb.ca or call 1-800-592-5437 ext.130.
