(Chelsea Update would like to thank Joni Benson for the information in this story. In addition, this story has been updated to reflect that two boys from Germany are expected to be in Chelsea during the upcoming school year.)
Youth For Understanding USA (YFU), a nonprofit educational organization, seeks volunteers and host families to mentor and host high school exchange students coming to the Chelsea area.
Joni Benson says she and her husband, Rick, have hosted seven students from YFU in the last five years.
“During the 2011-2012 school year there were four girls from YFU at the high school, from Poland, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands,” she says, adding that this year, there were two girls — one from Norway and one from Germany.
Next year, two boys from Germany are expected to be in Chelsea.
Share your family traditions – welcome an international teenager eager to experience American culture, learn about social
responsibility, and build interpersonal bonds of friendship that will last a lifetime.
Host families of all shapes and sizes welcome YFU students into their homes as if they are one of their own children.
YFU exchange students bring spending money and have health insurance, and they come prepared to follow family rules and want to become a part of the community.
Students and host families are supported by local YFU representatives who form a nationwide network of more than 1,500 volunteers. These trained volunteers work to ensure that everyone has an incredible experience during the program year.
Families around the world trust Youth For Understanding because of its reputation for quality, high safety standards, and strong support network.
As one of the world’s oldest and largest exchange organizations, YFU has provided study abroad opportunities to over 250,000 high school students for more than 60 years.
Chelsea High School welcomes two-to-five YFU Exchange Students each year.
To learn more about the program, contact YFU’s local area representative Joni Benson at 248-939-3120 or Field Director Vickie Gaynor at 734-929-5554 or via e-mail at [email protected].
Additional information and an online application is available here.
Rick and I have not decided if we will host a student for this coming school year. The Dobos and Rose families will each host a boy from Germany.
Awesome program and I am an Alumni of the program- 1989. It offers a glimpse into another side of the educational experience unobtainable in the classroom.