Youth Exchange Host Program
Thank you for your interest in participating in our Youth Exchange Program as a host family. In an effort to provide an opportunity for families in our community to learn about our Sister Cities in Europe and at the same time strengthen our relationships with these cities, we have established an exchange program for high school age youth. We have had successful exchanges with Vaux-le-Penil, France since 1999 and with Schwieberdingen, Germany since 1988.
In this exchange, four teenagers from Belvidere/Boone Countyh are given the opportunity to live with a host family in one of our sister cities. Two teens will spend two weeks in Vaux-le-Penil, France and two teens will spend two weeks in Schwieberdingen, Germany. We will then welcome two teens from each of our sister cities into our community so that they can experience life in Belvidere and the United States.
We are now looking forward to the summer of 2010. We will again send teenagers to and receive teenagers from our sister cities. In order to do this, we are looking for four families living in the Belvidere/Boone County area who have teenagers and would be willing to host a teenager from Schwieberdingen or Vaux-le-Penil for a period of two weeks.
WHO?
Families with teenagers living in the Belvidere/Boone County area are invited to apply. You will be asked to open up your home to a French or German “son” or “daughter” for a period of approximately two weeks. Families of ambassador applicants are encouraged to consider hosting. However, if they choose not to host, we will continue our search. Although families outside Boone County have hosted, an ambassador applicant must be a Boone County resident or a student in a Boone County school.
WHEN?
A two-week visit will take place somewhere between the end of July and the middle of August—beginning the same day as the ambassadors’ return. Exact dates depend on school schedules and are not yet set.
WHAT IS EXPECTED OF OUR FAMILY?
Host families are asked to provide “room and board” in a safe family environment for this two-week period. It is our hope that our guests will be included as a family member in the events of everyday life, thus learning about our community and life in the United States. We suggest that expenses incurred as a family are covered by the host family. Each guest should, however, have ample spending money to cover some expenses outside of the home or non-family activities. Purchases and souvenirs should be their own responsibility.
There are also several events organized by Sister Cities whicdh we might ask that you attend or that you provide transportation to for your teen.
HOW DO YOU APPLY?
Applicants are asked to fill out a host family application and agree to an interview in their home. Although we highly encourage you to make application to host by the end of January, applicants will be received until suitable accommodations are arranged for our four guests.