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American Field Service looking for host families
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Neighbors | Submitted.The Hilderbrand family of New Springfield recently hosted a Chilean student through the American Field Service. On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., exchange student Bernardita König-Lopez (left) posed with her host family, Nancy, Walter, Bob, and Rachael Hilderbrand.
By SARAH FOOR
Back in 1979, a young girl from Poland made a very long trip to Norway with the American Field Service (AFS), an international student exchange organization.
Since her own trip, she has hosted AFS students in her own home from Costa Rica and Italy. When offered an opportunity last fall to begin a Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana County branch of the organization, that girl, Terri Windsor, jumped at the chance.
“I only have happy and wonderful memories as a foreign exchange student abroad. I feel the same about hosting foreign students in my home. It’s truly an amazing learning experience,” Windsor shared.
Windsor’s adventures with AFS began in the tiny village of Grindeheim, Norway.
“You could pass by the village and not even know it,” Windsor remembers. “Out of my back window was the most gorgeous waterfall you’ve ever seen. I came there knowing hardly any Norwegian, but I was welcomed and I felt like part of the family.”
Windsor and her Norwegian host sister Ingrid Hempsing are still in contact, and she hopes that guest students and host families will have similar closeness with their host student or family when they work with the AFS.
The process begins at www.AFS.org, where students hoping to study abroad or families hoping to host a student can fill out a preliminary application. From there, AFS works to find a party with similar interests.
“For example, a local family is hoping to host, and we’re currently offering them a wonderful student from Spain because their daughter is hoping to learn more Spanish. We tailor the interests of both parties with great care,” Windsor explained.
AFS says host families should be those who care about “youth, education, and becoming global citizens and global neighbors.” The program accepts families of any age, as long as they can pass a background check and provide a bed and care for the basic needs of the student. The program offers yearlong, semester and quarterly stays.
“Twenty years ago, many of our local schools hosted two or three AFS students every year. I hope I can bring back that kind of participation with our new AFS chapter,” Windsor shared.
However, Windsor’s ultimate goal is to offer the Mahoning Valley the same learning opportunity she took when she was a girl.
“The memories of my trip a long time ago, and the lessons I have learned, have stayed with me all of my life. AFS offers an amazing opportunity for families get to know students from abroad, to learn their culture and way of life. These students become a part of your family.”
If you are interested in hosting a student or becoming an exchange student yourself, contact terri.windsor@afsorg.com, or visit www.AFS.org to fill out an application.