The Host Family program is designed to encourage interactions between dorm and day students and their families and enhance the sense of community here at OES. This program, while in its beginning stages, has enjoyed great success. Host families report that opening your door to dorm students is “utterly simple” and students say they are grateful to have a family nearby.

As a host you might invite your student to your home for a meal, explore the Rose City together, talk on the phone, remember birthdays and other special occasions or attend OES events together. We encourage host families to find a level of involvement that feels comfortable to them. The time commitment does not need to be great, yet the rewards can be tremendous.

Goals of the host family program:

• Increase interactions between day and dorm students
• Provide opportunities for day families to build a relationship with a student from a different background or part of the world
• Provide an opportunity for dorm students to be in a family setting and learn more about American culture, particularly how it relates to family life

There are many intrinsic rewards that come from cross-cultural relationships. In this program, we hope you will not only discover new friends, but that you will also expand your knowledge of different cultures and perspectives.

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