Host families are needed for Livingstone Range School Division’s international student program.
International student program co-ordinator Jas Schmirler appeared before Fort Macleod council on Nov. 28 to explain the program and ask people to open their homes.
“We do want to increase enrollment of international students coming to the area,” Schmirler said.
Schmirler told council there are many benefits to hosting international students.
For example, international students help enrich cultural experiences and making global connections.
Students from Livingstone Range have visited international students in their home countries as a result of connections made here.
“They gained an appreciation for new cultures and the opportunity to travel and even learn new languages,” Schmirler said.
Host families receive monthly compensation to help offset the cost of hosting a student.
The international students also support the local economy during their stay.
The tuition fees paid by international students provide a revenue source for Livingstone Range that benefits all students.
“Overall it benefits the school, the community and just the general population,” Schmirler said.
The program started in 2013 with six international students and has grown to about 60 students per year.
“The enrollment is really dependent on how many homestay families we have in each community,” Schmirler said.
At present, F.P. Walshe school in Fort Macleod and J.T. Foster school in Nanton have the most international students.
The nine international students in Fort Macleod are being hosted by five families.
“Our goal is to have at least 10 host families in each community” Schmirler said. “We would like to have 10 to 15 international students in each school.”
The 39 students in Livingstone Range this year are from Austria, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Turkey and Spain.
Twenty students from Brazil are arriving next semester.
Livingstone Range will hold a virtual homestay information session in February.
Schmirler asked council to help promote the international student program and the need for homestay families.
Schmirler told council the international students often return to the Alberta communities to visit or even to live.
“It’s the intent of every small community to grow and this is one avenue to attract the international market,” Schmirler said.
