Eight international exchange students experienced their first American homecoming celebration at Parkway South High School on Friday, October 1, 2011.
The students – from Chile, Denmark, Germany, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine and Yemen – marched in the Homecoming Parade as representatives of their AFS exchange program.
Each year, AFS provides intercultural learning experiences that help thousands of people from different cultures connect.
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During their eleven-month stay, the eight students are living with host families in the Parkway South area. As family members, they are fully immersed in American family life, school and culture.
AFS exchange students attend Parkway South and many other high schools throughout St. Louis and Missouri. The AFS Missouri Gateway team coordinates hosting, orientations, activities and support for an average of 40 exchange students each year.
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The AFS Missouri Gateway team is comprised entirely of volunteers dedicated to promoting cultural understanding between people of different countries. “Whether you’re hosting a student or sending one of your own children abroad, an AFS experience is a great way to connect lives and share cultures within your own family and community,” says Roberta (Bonnie) Duyff, AFS Missouri Gateway Co-Chair.
AFS also sends American high school students to live and study in other countries around the world. The connections they make with their host families, teachers and friends often last throughout their lives.
For information about AFS, hosting an international student, or for being an American student abroad, please contact Roberta (Bonnie) Duyff at 314-651-4371.