Community Day School approved for Student and Exchange Visitor Program

After an extensive, months-long process, Hershorin Schiff Community Day School – a Jewish day school that serves children of all faiths in preschool through eighth grade – has been approved for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). This approval allows the school to accept international students in grades K-8 under a special academic visa.

The program will complement Community Day’s already diverse community, with families representing 40 different nationalities. Community Day’s “inclusivity in action” helps to prepare students to thrive in an increasingly interconnected global economy as well as to become empathetic and empowered leaders in combating intolerance in high school, college and beyond.

The rigorous approval process involves the submission of numerous forms, site visits from Homeland Security, sworn affidavits, and more. While Community Day School has, for many years, hosted international students under “associate [short-term] enrollment” terms, it has not been authorized to enroll students for a full course of study.

SEVP certification allows Community Day School to issue Forms I-20, "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status," to prospective international students who have met the admissions criteria and have been accepted to attend CDS for a full program of study. A Form I-20 provides these students with an opportunity to apply for a specific visa to enter the United States for the sole purpose of academic study at Community Day School.

International students studying in the U.S. under an academic visa are closely monitored for their academic progress and must maintain student status at the school. Should all visa requirements be met, these students are also eligible to continue – with successful application/acceptance – to a SEVP-certified high school, college, or university.

By providing the mechanism for these student visitors to learn at CDS, the school offers a mutually-beneficial opportunity for both the international students and the CDS student body.

“At Community Day, we are committed to admitting diverse students who possess the motivation, ability and character that would enable them to succeed in our school community,” said Head of School Dan Ceaser. “For many years, our students have benefited from opportunities to learn about and share religious values and traditions from around the world; we believe there is no better way to build bridges of mutual understanding and respect than to work, learn and play alongside children from other places and cultures.”

Community Day School’s proud, purposeful diversity and project-based curriculum empowers students to learn about and share religious and cultural values and traditions from around the world. High standards for academics and behavior create a courteous and respectful learning environment that values the beliefs and rights of every member of our community. The SEVP approval will serve to further enhance Community Day School’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

For more about Community Day School, visit communityday.org.

About Hershorin Schiff Community Day School
The mission of the Hershorin Schiff Community Day School, which serves students in early childhood through eighth grade, is to impact the world by creating a community where children of all faiths demonstrate integrity, academic excellence, and a desire to improve the world. Community Day offers a rigorous, project-based academic program in a diverse and vibrant learning environment rooted in the Jewish values of honesty, integrity, mutual trust, and respect. For more information, visit communityday.org or call 941-552-2770.