Host Families Needed for Chinese Exchange Students

The Seattle-based Laurasian Institution seeks families in Chatham who are willing to open their homes to Chinese exchange students.

Julia Chang, a local coordinator in The Laurasian Institution's New Jersey office, said she has two students that she is trying to find host families for in the 2011-12 academic year.

"We actually have two that we wanted to place here for this year, but we have a whole database of kids that want to come to the US," Chang said. "You can match with a student on things that match [a family's] interest."

The two students are Xiaowan, or "Gigi," a 17-year-old female from south of Beijing,and Yeqing, or "Jacqueline," a 16-year-old female from southern China.

All students approved for The Laurasian Institution's study abroad program have to go through "rigorous testing" and interviewing, Chang said.

Chang also said, "if a family is not sure if they want to do a whole academic year with a student, they can just commit for one semester."

Chang said she was acquainted with Chatham Middle School Principal Robert Accardi and asked him if he knew of any families who were willing to host exchange students.

Chatham, she thought, would be a good location for Chinese exchange students because the school system "already offer[s] Chinese classes during the school year."

The Laurasian Institution was formed in 1990, according to their website, and works with students and families in China, Japan and the United States. Chang said, "We’ve been focusing on [finding host families on] the west coast, and this is the first thime we’re trying to expand to the east coast."

Chang said the experience of hosting an exchange student can be formative for the host families as well as the students. "I have one exchange student, she's been here in the states for two years," Chang said. "Her whole host family is in China with her visiting. She teaches the kids Chinese, the kids teach her English.

"It's a great way to blend cultures together," Chang said.