Melissa and Joe Canfield can’t seem to get enough of a good thing. Although their children are already grown and have left the nest, the couple are currently hosting two European exchange students and loving every minute of it.
Juniors Monika Marcu, 17, of Milan, Italy, and Lola Nonne, 16, of Montpellier, France, are having the time of their lives experiencing an entire school year at Bloomingdale High and living with the Canfields in FishHawk. They’re taking AP classes, making new friends and participating in lots of school-related events like homecoming, prom and grad night.
The Canfields are making sure the girls are having memorable moments – beyond schooling and at-home time – doing things they couldn’t do at home in Europe. Read more about their experiences in the Observer News article entitled, “Teenage Europeans Experience American Family Life”.
You can make a difference in a young person’s life by hosting an international exchange student. ISE is a certified non-profit organization founded in 1982 and has provided quality exchange programs for over 30,000 exchange students. We are looking for host families in Florida.
Enrich your family, local high school, and community with new ideas and perspectives. International exchange students form a broader view in our education system and help us make it world-class. International student exchange helps globalize United States education.
ISE believes that exchange programs provide a distinct opportunity for personal growth and development, so we strive to bring this experience to as many foreign students and host families as possible. Hosting an international student often leads to the development of deep connections and lasting friendships. As you spend time together, engage in activities, and share experiences, you may form meaningful bonds that can endure beyond their time as a student. It is our goal for this opportunity to bring the people of the world closer together through the relationships created between visiting students, host families and the local community.
For more information, contact us.
If you would like to help an exchange student’s dreams come true, we invite you to read more about hosting a foreign exchange student. If you have specific questions about hosting, check out our host family FAQ page. You can also read testimonials from our past and current host families. When you feel ready, complete our host family interest form and our area representative will get in touch with you.
You can also get involved by joining our team of Area Representatives! Help match host families and exchange students and bring the world closer together, while making a supplemental income.
