On Friday, July 24, a group of 24 students from KIE-Kyoritsu Joshi High School in Japan will arrive for a two-week stay on the Sunshine Coast. For many years this private girls’ school has offered their 16-year-old students an opportunity to learn English and experience summer in “small town Canada.” Their visit, arranged by Muskoka Language International (MLI), involves staying with a local family, attending English language classes at Elphinstone Secondary School on weekday mornings, and doing a variety of activities in the afternoon.
The program is looking for families to host a student from July 24 until Aug. 10. This is a wonderful opportunity for your family to make friends with someone from another culture and to show how summer is enjoyed on the Coast. For the student, MLI’s mission statement is: “To provide international visitors with an opportunity to enrich their lives through a unique Canadian cultural and learning experience.”
As a host you will be asked to provide accommodation and three meals per day for the student, as well as opportunities for the student to speak English and to experience life on the Sunshine Coast.
Please note that it is not necessary to have children at home in order to host a student. The program welcomes “empty nesters,” retired couples and others who have time and would like to be hosts. You will also receive compensation for food and accommodation.
Organizers are hoping to secure home stays by June 19. If you would like more information about this program and/or would like to host a student, please contact program coordinator Wendy Morris at [email protected]
