Families in town have the opportunity to host international high schoolers for a semester or an entire school year through Educatius, an organization that helps international students apply to high schools around the world.
Elisabeth Strecker, Educatius’ local coordinator for Marblehead, said that the organization is looking for families in town with the hopes of finding placements for international students.
“Educatius’ international exchange program is looking for households wanting to embark on the unique adventure of hosting an international student,” said Strecker.
Through the program, local families have the chance to open their home, share their way of life, and grow lifelong connections.
Pamela Robbins, a Marbleheader who hosted a student for the first time in the spring, said that she absolutely loved hosting.
Robbins said that she had decided to host because she found that as an “empty nester,” she missed the energy of having people in the house and taking care of them.
Reflecting on the experience, Robbins said that her first student, 17-year-old Marta from Italy, had incredible English and was a curious and strong learner. Marta’s extracurricular interests were in theater, which opened up a whole new world for Robbins.
“We had a nice blend of discussing things about the USA and Italy,” Robbins said.
It was such a positive experience that Robbins will host two students this fall, a boy from Brazil and a girl from Germany.
“You can really see how this can change someone. Marta arrived nervous and left so confident,” Robbins said.
Educatius currently has five students looking for homes. Shaa is a 16-year-old from Cambodia who loves the outdoors and music. Zoi is a 16-year-old from Italy who is an avid basketball player. Henrietta is a 15-year-old from Germany who loves piano, basketball, reading, and drawing. Nattapong is a 17-year-old from Thailand who loves soccer, swimming, the computer, and watching sports. Sophia is a 17-year-old from Germany who loves cooking, ice skating, reading, and swimming, and will only be here for one semester.
Educatius provides a monthly stipend of $1,000 to families to offset the cost of housing an international student, as well as expert support throughout the student’s stay. Families interested in opening their home and heart to these students should reach out to Strecker at (781) 584-9198 or email Elisabethstrecker1@gmail.com