Weston Rotary - Newsletter & PR - Archive (Aug 1, 2003)

Homes needed for exchange students
BY JULIE LEVIN
Special to The Herald The Rotary Club of Weston is looking for a few families with room in their homes and hearts. The service organization welcomes students from around the world to Weston as part of a youth exchange program and wants to make sure these young travelers have a welcoming place to stay. ''It's an opportunity to make a difference in someone's life, as well as your own,'' said Jeffrey Wertman, the club's youth exchange officer. They have been sending students to international locales for several years but are relatively new at welcoming inbound students. Host families already have been lined up for the coming school year. Rotary now wants to get the word out to prospective families for the 2004-05 school year. Potential hosts do not need to be members of Rotary. Organizers would prefer they live in the city of Weston. ''Obviously, we want the host family to be caring, have a variety of interests, be flexible and patient because we're dealing with a student that has to learn our language,'' Wertman said. The host family is responsible for providing room and board, exercising parental supervision over the student and involving him or her in the activities of the family. ''Basically, they have to treat them as an extension of the family,'' he said. Children also are not a requirement in the home. The Rotary prefers the exchange student experience a variety of different family settings, including empty-nesters or singles. Steve Miller's family welcomed exchange student Aurore Dubreucq into their home last year. The teenager from Romilly-sur-Seine, France, came to them in November, after spending several months with another host family. Her American experience included a huge Thanksgiving dinner with Miller, his wife, their three children and a few relatives. ''We had 15 or 16 people here, a traditional dinner with turkey and all the trimmings,'' Miller said. ``I don't think she realized what a big deal it is in America until then.'' Miller drove his exchange student to Cypress Bay High School every morning. He says she was shy at first but blended in with the normal family routine after a few weeks. Miller, a scuba diving instructor, was even able to help Aurore become certified in open-water diving. He says it's an experience his family treasures. ''We would absolutely do it again,'' he said. Potential families will be asked to fill out an application, which will be screened by a Rotary committee. If it moves forward, the family then would go through a series of interviews to make sure the entire family is motivated to take part. The Rotary Youth Exchange started in 1927. The program now reaches out to students in more than 82 countries. An estimated 8,000 students take advantage of the chance to study aboard and experience different cultures. Host families come away with a greater understanding of the world around them. ''It's really a great opportunity for exposure to your own children in terms of different culture,'' Wertman said. For information, call Jeff Wertman at 954-627-9912.