International high school students from Korea and Poland are looking for a few good host families in Point Loma who are willing to open their doors and lives.
The nonprofit student exchange program known as Student Travel Schools, or STS Foundation, has a few students waiting for the right family to host them as they attend public and private schools in the Peninsula area during the 2007-08 school year.
Lilian Clemente, STS Foundation representative, said Point Loma families play host to about 10 to 15 students every year. This year, Clemente is looking for one family to play host to a student from Poland.
The students are identified initially by first name only because of age and for safety reasons, officials said.
Krzysztof is a 17-year-old boy. He likes playing soccer and also enjoys working with computers, Clemente said. Krzysztof is currently in Poland waiting for a host family here. He is a good student who wants to learn about American culture, Clemente said.
Also on the list are two students from South Korea who wish to attend a private school, Clemente said. She said all the students who participate in the program school will have their own spending money and pay for any tuition costs. Host families must be able to provide a space or room to sleep, meals and a friendly environment, she said.
Placing students in schools this close to the beginning of the school year could be too stressful for international students and that placement for the spring quarters could be easier for all, she said.
“It’s not so difficult to find the families for the students, its more difficult to get the schools to accept the students,” Clemente said. “And we have to find the right students for the right family so they can be a good match.”
As part of the program, temporary guardians must submit to a background check and orientation process, which usually takes about a week.
Lisa and Anders Nyberg, 15-year residents of University City, opened up their home to Helena, an exchange student from Sweden.
Although Helena is the Nybergs’ niece, the family participated in the STS Foundation program so Helena could study for a year at University City High School.
Helena said she wants to play tennis while attending high school. She played tennis back home and even competed in the quarterfinals of a Swedish national championship in the doubles event, she said.
Since Helena had been to the United States before to visit family in New York, she said the transition was easy, although now she has to speak more English because of school.
Helena offers one piece of advice for potential host families.
“Just be open,” Helena said. “It will make it easier and it will be a great time and they’ll meet new friends and it will be great.”
Lisa Nyberg said playing host to a student enriches the lives of the host families as they exchange ideas and share about their respective cultures, she said. Helena is the fourth exchange student to stay with the Nybergs in the past four years.
Also a mother of four, Lisa said having children the same age as her exchange students is a benefit but not absolutely necessary to have a good school year.
What is necessary, however, is the right attitude, she said.
“[Host families] should have a welcoming and warm attitude and be open to small differences,” she said.
Based in Arizona the STS Foundation has been operating for more than 20 years, Clemente said. According to the foundation’s website, only students who show academic achievement, good character and satisfactory command of the English language are accepted to the program. The foundation also has a program offering American an opportunity to study abroad in countries like Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
For more information, visit www.stsfoundation.org, or call (800) 522-4678.