French February: Placements Needed for French Exchange

February in Nebraska—it’s evidently for the French! Language & Friendship, Inc., a Minnesota based non-profit agency, is again bringing French students to Nebraska in February. Bellevue East French Teacher Nora Boyd has hosted for three years. She shares, “It has been a great experience. I know that February in Nebraska doesn’t seem like the best time to come visit, but the students were pretty delighted with all the snow. In fact, February seems to be a little easier for some host families because there aren’t a ton of activities going on then.

The organization is currently seeking placements for the visitors. Students are aged 14-16 years old and will stay from February 8 – February 28, 2020. The group is from Lycée Marie Pilain Carpentras, a school near Lyon. The students are part of a special program that concentrates on English. Language and cultural immersion is the goal.

While in the United States, students will attend school with their hosts. The Nebraska school would have to provide permission for the student to visit. There are no group activities during the stay. Host families provide the visiting student with his/her own bed, but it can be in a bedroom that is shared with a host sibling of the same gender and similar age. Host families also provide meals. Students come with other spending money and an open mind.

Nora Boyd comments, “It’s pretty low stress on the teachers, outside of doing the home visit and calling references for the family placement. During the actual stay, the students have all generally been pretty self-sufficient and enjoyed hanging out with their host families and attending school.”

If you are interested in participating as a site host or a family placement, visit the Language & Friendship website or contact Nora Boyd at nora.boyd@bpsne.net.