Do you know what a foreign exchange student is? The definition of a foreign exchange student, according to dictionary.com, is a person who goes to a foreign country or location in order to undertake learning and schooling while a student from that country or location attends a school in the first country. First, the student has to find a country that they are interested in going to school at a high school level. After that, the student has to figure out a program they can join and afford. Some programs students could join are: AFS, Youth for Understanding, and CIEE.

According to a blog, AFS has programs in over 50 countries including Canada, New Zealand, France, and Japan. You can either go for a year or a few months. To participate in this program, the student must submit an application which includes a letter of recommendation and a doctor’s form. They must also complete an in-home interview with an AFS volunteer. To apply for this program, teens must have at least a 2.8 GPA, and depending on the country, may need to have language fluency. More information here:https://www.afsusa.org/

Youth for Understand or YFU offers students ages 15-18 the opportunity to study abroad for a year, a semester, a summer, or through another specialty program like sports or theater-focused program. Students can choose countries like Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, and 35 other countries throughout the world. Most destinations don’t require the student speaks the language, and students may even get the opportunity to stay with a host family that speaks English. More information here:https://www.yfuusa.org/

CIEE offers places for students in about 40 different countries, including Germany, Chile, France, Ireland, Japan, Spain, and New Zealand. This program requires students to attend pre-trip orientation sessions and hosting an in-country orientation once students arrive. The company also tries to book students traveling to the same country on the same flight to help them enjoy the experience together and make it less stressful. Once abroad, students connect with local coordinators who make regular visits and help during emergencies. More information here:https://www.ciee.org/

In Woodford County, it is simple to become a foreign exchange student. To be one here students need to find a host family to live with. A host family is a family who takes care of a foreign exchange student(s).

This district has a document called Admission of Foreign Exchange Students. This document provides all the information on how to be accepted into our school. If a student wants to view the full document they will have to see the principal or someone from Central office.

The main points of the document are stated as follows:

• “International exchange program students, immigrant foreign students, immigrant foreign studies and nonimmigrant students without I-20 status as residents of the school District. All such students shall be enrolled in the appropriate school.”
• “The agency shall provide written evidence that the student has not graduated high school, is eligible to be enrolled in Grades 9-11 and less than eighteen (18) years of age as of July 1 of the year the student wishes to enroll.”
• “The student shall furnish a certified English translation of his academic record and the original or copy of the original in the native language.”
• “All organizations/agencies seeking to place foreign exchange students with District shall participate in an interview, be accepted by the District as an approved organization and shall sign an agreement outlining the District’s expectations for the student and the organization.”
• “All exchange students shall have a host family who shall be responsible for the student’s academic and home life. The local host family shall serve as a support service to the student, family, and school.”
• “Students are permitted to participate in an exchange program if they are high school students, they have not graduated or they are less than eighteen (18) years of age on July 1 of the year they wish to enroll.”
• “Exchange programs shall not exceed a full school year.”
• “All foreign exchange students shall be enrolled as a junior and will be admitted with nongraduate status. They shall be enrolled as juniors but will not be placed in class ranking. They shall be allowed to enroll in classes of their choice as long as they enroll in a core curriculum and the classes are below the maximum state limit of 31.”
• “All students’ entrance shall be approved prior to the first student day of a school year.”