Sometimes going to a foreign country just isn’t possible. The economy of today makes our budgets tight, searching in our pockets for every last penny. When you can’t simply hop on a plane and fly somewhere, there is easily a second best. Hosting a foreign student is like getting a snippet of their culture. For a few JHS students, they were able to experience that by hosting a German student.
Students from Jacksonville High School welcome a student or two into their homes. They show their student the way of life for a typical American teenager. This includes taking them to extracurricular activities and simply letting the student participate with their daily routine and activities. The host students make their exchange partner comfortable in a new country along with becoming their friend and guide for the three weeks in America.
Students can host multiple times. Some only host once, while others host every year they are at JHS. This simply depends on the student’s availability along with interest in hosting that year. Most students host so that they can meet new friends and learn about the culture of another country. Students that host find it enjoyable to show someone else not only their town but also their country.
The activities host students enjoy with their student depends on what they were able to experience. Some enjoy the simple things such as just chilling with them or driving around in the country. Others enjoyed going paintballing or seeing a hockey game with their exchange partner. Who you are and how you connect with your student determines what makes the experience memorable to both the host and the German student.
To most students, hosting one more person isn’t a hard task. Most say it is actually very easy to adjust. Host students simply welcome them into their family. They interact as a family, and it is just like having a brother or sister for three weeks. At first it may be awkward, especially since you just met someone from a foreign country. But by the end of the three weeks when the students leave, the house feels as if a piece is missing.
The GAPP program is an eye-opening experience for American hosts. They are able to learn so much about another student’s culture. It begins to show the host how different yet how similar America is to other countries, even Germany. If possible, the majority wish to return the exchange. Hosting is only half of the program; the other half is being able to be hosted.