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Community Corner

Bring the World to You

 

What could be more exciting and rewarding than being able

to expand your family by hosting a foreign exchange student for one semester or full school year? You can request boy or girl; music lover or athlete, from Europe or from Asia, from South America or Australia and STS Foundation (STSF) will try to make it happen for you. 

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 When the student arrives, you will be treated to a new cultural experience almost as rich as the one you are providing for your new family member. For example, while you share Thanksgiving dinner with your student and explain it's origins, he/she could regale you with tales of Hannibal's crossing of the Italian Alps. 

 When the school year is over, it is the beginning of what will become a lifelong friendship. That's what being a host family is all about. 

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 STS is looking for a host family, either single parent or multi parent, empty nesters, military families, and retirees in your community who would be interested in hosting an exchange student for the 2014-2015 school year. STS families come from all over the U.S., including both rural and urban communities.

 A professionally trained local representative from STS who works with the family, student and local school for the entire program supports each student. Host families provide three meals a day and a bedroom (either private or shared).  Students will have their own health insurance and spending money for lunches, books, clothes and outings.

 These are just some of the over 400 students that STS Foundation will place with loving families for the upcoming school year and they want to become part of your family;

 Pola from Italy: I am nice, sensitive, reliable and always happy. I like watching movies, reading (fantasy, thriller and classic books), listening to the music and, to be honest, I also like studying! I have started a course of voluntary work because I want to help elderly or disabled people. I like sports, especially soccer.

 Ville from Finland: I am honest, nice, and independent when needed, able to work with different kind of people. I like meeting new people and making friends with them. I like hanging out with my friends and I also like the time I spend with my family. I like music, sports, nature and studying.

 Dana from New Zealand:  I am very interested in sports and it takes up quite a lot of my time. Because of my sport, I get to meet heaps of new people that is one of the reasons I play Squash. I just love meeting new people whenever I can. I believe that my character is a positive person who tries to always have a smile on thyself. I am generally a friendly and open-minded person and am told that I am out-going and gets along with others quite well.

 If you would like more information about hosting or to view students profiles please visit our web page: www.stsfoundation.org. You can contact the local representatives, Lyle and Michelle @ 1-815-254-7367 or email us at stschicago@comcast.net.


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