Filling the Gap for International Students

New students coming into a private American high school or university for the first time, have many important things to know.

For one, they should definitely do their research regarding the location of their new school, the history of the area they will be living in, and the expectations of the people they will be staying with.  In the event of a boarding school student, it's important to know how long the commute will be to the host family, so there is an understanding of why the new host family might not be able to visit them more frequently. 

 Before the student arrives at school, he/she might not realize that it could be very difficult to do everyday things, such as go shopping for snacks, see an eye doctor for new glasses or contacts, or open a savings account.  The school might arrange a one-time trip for such needs, but it's doubtful that there will be many regularly scheduled trips to accommodate everyday needs.

International students should consider asking the school if they offer any kind of settling in assistance program that can help with simple tasks like these.  The school probably won't be able to help every student, but they might be able to refer an organization, like Everyday Interaction.

For example, Everyday Interaction has several different programs that can make international life a bit more comfortable.  While we will not learn English for the student, we can provide help with daily activities through our comprehensive Homestay Program, the "Homestay Complete Package".
The Homestay Complete Package is recommended for students who need extra help throughout the year, as well as for international parents who need help communicating with the school on a regular basis.  This program can also be used throughout the academic term for unanticipated needs, such as getting fit for new glasses, or finding a violin tutor. If the student has a full time host family, they can usually help with these needs.  However, for boarding school students and intensive English students, part-time host families will probably not be able to make such arrangements.

A lot of us have not ever considered what an international student really needs when they arrive.   To help fill the gap, we have created a hands-on program, called: The Homestay Complete Package
Which Includes:

• Matching with a safe, qualified host family, based on compatibility 
• Transportation provided to and from school (for Boarding school students, only) 
• Interaction Coach available throughout the duration of program to help deal with any issues that arise between student and family 
• Picture of child and safety report e-mailed after every drop off 
• Help translating messages sent from the school with recommended course of action 
• Help talking to the office at school, health insurance companies, or extracurricular teacher/tutors 
• Other virtual help as needed 
• Care 5 Plan: 

• Help making doctor's/eye/dentist appointments with transportation to and from appointment 
• Trips to the store to buy basic supplies (food/clothing) 
• Help with other activities as requested by student/parents and approved by Everyday Interaction, LLC