This January, Educatius is looking for host families to house three international students that will be coming overseas to attend Marblehead High School. The students will be arriving on Jan. 25, and will stay until the end of June 2023.
For more than a decade, Marblehead has been partnering with Educatius to provide a fun learning experience for international students. Local coordinator Elizabeth Strecker assists with finding families for the students to live with, and has housed eight international students of her own as part of the program. Students have come from countries all over the world including Brazil, France, Germany, and Spain.
Strecker has had incredible experiences with international students, stating that each one is a completely different experience than the previous one.
“It’s a wonderful experience, it’s eye opening, it allows the family to learn about their culture, also give them our culture, so it’s a great experience,” she said. “They were all wonderful in their own way.”
Strecker says she still keeps in touch with two of her host children, including one from Brazil who is going to doctorate school and has invited Strecker to come down for his graduation in 2025.
All types of families are welcome to apply including those with or without children, retired people, or single parents.
“Any safe and loving home environment will do!” Strecker said in a facebook post.
Families who are looking to house exchange students will have to go through an application process as well as a number of checks to make sure the student is living in a good environment.
Educatius will also provide a $1,000 stipend per month to help with the added cost of hosting a student. Families who are interested should reach out to Stricker at bilette1@gmail.com or by cellphone at (781)-584-9198.