Group honors hosting families

Staff report

Youngstown

AFS Intercultural Programs, formerly the American Field Service, would like to recognize local families who have opened their homes and lives to AFS Exchange Students arriving in August that will be attending high schools in the Mahoning Valley.

AFS is a worldwide nonprofit organization that has been leading international high school student exchange for more than 60 years.

Terri Windsor of New Springfield is hosting Valentin from Austria, who has chosen the AFS semester program and will be attending New Springfield High School for the first semester of the 2011-12 school year.

The Gabrick family of New Springfield will host Catalina from Chile, who will attend New Springfield for the 2011-12 school year.

Marney Broderick and her son, Michael, of Canfield will be hosting Nicolas from Chile, who will attend Heartland Christian School in Columbiana for the first semester of the 2011-12 school year.

Brad Smith of Boardman will host Dario from Italy and Paticha from Thailand. Dario chose to be an AFS student for the 2011-’12 school year and will go to Boardman High School. Paticha, or Pi, will also attend Boardman High School.

AFS offers summer, semester, year and gap-year exchange programs to more than 30 countries around the world.

Students have an opportunity to live with host families, learn a language and experience another culture first-hand. More than 2,500 AFS Exchange Students arrive in the U.S. each year to be welcomed into families, high schools and communities. Host families provide a bed and meals, share their daily lives with students and help guide and support students as they would their own children. Families and their hosted students receive ongoing support from experienced AFS staff and volunteers.

Anyone who wants additional information or is interested in hosting a student, studying abroad, or being an AFS volunteer, may contact Terri Windsor, chairwoman for the Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana County Chapter of AFS Northeast Ohio at 330-531-3070 or terri.windsor@afsusa.org.