International Students:
Effective Ways to Find, Welcome, and
Mentor Them in our School Communities
Carl Hobert
Boston University
“Les Penseurs”
Quote 1
“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”
- Gandhi
Quote 2
“The ultimate measure of a person is not where s/he
stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but
where s/he stands at times of challenge and
controversy.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Quote 3
“Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may
remember. Involve me and I will understand.”
- Confucius
Quote 4
- Please write down the THREE most important things that we can do NOW to
help prepare our students/our children for their futures in our shrinking planet.
- You, sharing thoughts with one other person
International Students’ View of the US?
The importance of being multilingual!
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSdxqIBfE
Aw
“Dad, Donny and I are taking a year off to volunteer for
the Pizza Corps.”
Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Tom Friedman
Today’s Schedule
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9:30 am – 10:00 am
10:00 am – 10:45 am
Participants arrive
Welcome/overview of workshop/ice breaker, teambuilding exercises and workshop introduction, led
by Carl Hobert
10:45 am – 11:30 am
Goal 1: Current international branding and international
student recruitment practices
11:30 am – 11:45 am
Break
11:45 am – 12:30 pm
Goal 2: Post-admission international student support
offerings
12:30 pm – 12:45 pm
Morning debriefing
12:45 am – 1:15 pm
Working lunch: Discussion of “How China’s New Love
Affair with US Private Schools is Changing them
Both” (The Atlantic, March 28, 2012)
1:15 pm – 1:30 pm
Ice breaker/team-building exercises
1:30 pm – 2:15 pm
Goal 3: Getting vital support from US-based faculty,
students and families
2:15 pm – 2:45 pm
Goal 4: How to develop global classrooms – and Raise
Global IQ in our NYSAIS communities
2:45 pm – 3:00 pm Groups report on final implementation plans
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Workshop debriefing and evaluation
Introduction
• International exchange students offer an exciting
resource. Many schools have created special events
and programs to encourage all students to get to know
these guests from other cultures and expand their own
horizons and interests. Such efforts also help exchange
students feel comfortable in an all-new life by taking
full advantage of their opportunities.
• International youth exchange programs
internationalize American high schools - one exchange
at a time. Thank you for your support of these seminal
programs. You are helping to mold our next generation
of world leaders.
Introduction:
Numbers to Accept
• Many independent schools should strive to accept international
exchange students each year.
• The number of international exchange students that a high school
will accept and the timing/deadlines for the process vary.
• These guidelines suggest a middle ground that recognizes the needs
of schools and exchange programs, taking into account the
increasing difficulty of securing early student applications and host
family commitments.
• Ideally, schools should work toward a goal of 1% of the total
student population being comprised of exchange students.
• Acknowledging that school conditions vary depending on the
schools, it is important to set a personal goal that best fits each
school community.
Introduction:
Timing of Placement Process
• The school asks that organizations contact the school each year to
indicate an interest in placing exchange students.
• Exchange organizations should provide schools with advance notice
of their intent to place.
• The school is to be notified as soon as Student and Host Family
match-ups are confirmed.
• Recognizing the timing of school staffing and resourcing, exchange
organizations should submit Student and Host Family applications
as early as possible or up to two weeks prior to the school's start
date.
• However, acknowledging the difficulty of securing Host Family
commitments, the school will try to accept applications until school
starts. (Note: The U.S. State Department federal J-visa regulations
permit the placement of exchange students up to August 31 of each
year.)
Introduction:
SELECTING STUDENT EXCHANGE
PROGRAMS
• The school reserves the right to work with
exchange organizations that have proved their
commitment and responsiveness.
• The school will also be open to new
organizations that demonstrate a serious
commitment to the school and community.
Introduction:
SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENT EXCHANGE
PROGRAM
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All schools should reserve right of final approval on all student placements. Additionally, schools should require that each individual student
exchange program must:
Be listed in the most current CSIET Advisory List (for the current list visit www.csiet.org).
Maintain a network of qualified and trained local representative living in or near the community, with responsibility for each student - and provide
orientation and ongoing support for both the host family and student.
Provide continuing hands-on monitoring and responsiveness - from local representative to national headquarters - including student selection and
preparation, selection and screening of host families, ongoing contact with host family and student, and communication with the school and
responsiveness to school needs.
Receive school enrollment authorization for placements each year prior to contacting potential host families - and follow school policy on timing and
requirements.
Screen and prepare exchange students while monitoring their progress during the school year, responding to issues or problems as they develop.
Arrange host family placements before exchange students leave their home country. Exchange students are expected to be in their host family and
school placements by the first day of classes.
Personally interview and screen all potential host families, matching student and family interests and personalities.
Not knowingly place exchange students based on their athletic abilities.
In the event that tutoring/ESL help is needed, the organization will make arrangements and ensure that the student accepts financial responsibility
for it.
Provide the school with a complete student application which includes the following:
personal letter from the student
detailed information on student and natural family
proof that the student has sufficient language ability to function in an American classroom
original transcript of student's high school grades, with English translation (and this must meet school requirements)
necessary medical history, including proof of immunization as required by the school district, any medical/physical restrictions and a recent physical
exam with proof of required immunizations
Introduction:
SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS ON J-1 VISA
SPONSORSHIPS
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Each exchange student must be qualified to participate in regular classes and
maintain a typical schedule - this means an acceptable level of proficiency in the
English language, a commitment to treat coursework as important, and the social
skills to enjoy participation in social and extra-curricular activities.
International exchange students must be aware that participating in interscholastic
athletic teams means they must comply with district and state athletic eligibility
regulations, and that many teams require try-outs.
The school appreciates the difficulty of a student's plunge into a different
language/culture/institution, but exchange students are expected to attain passing
grades by the end of their first semester.
Exchange students; enrollment eligibility will be for one-year only - exchange
students and host families are expected to know and must follow all school
policies and rules.
Exchange students must have medical and accident insurance that meets or
exceeds U.S. Department of State guidelines.
Since there is wide variation of graduation policies in the United States, exchange
students will understand that they are not guaranteed the ability to graduate or be
granted diplomas.
Introduction:
School Responsibilities
• Students on U.S. State Department-sponsored programs (J-1 visas)
generally pay no tuition, but they are expected to pay all normal
expenses, including standard course and extra-curricular activity
fees. The school has no obligation to provide any special services,
tutoring, supplies or equipment.
• International exchange students have all rights and privileges
accorded to community students - EXCEPT the right to a diploma.
• The school will make every effort to integrate international
exchange students into the school's social fabric. In turn, schools
shall encourage international exchange students to participate
enthusiastically in school activities, to make friends, to make a
personal contribution to the school - and to help spread the word
about their country and themselves, informally and by making
presentations in classes and to community groups and talking to
media when asked.
Point #1:
Current international branding and international student recruitment
practices
• How to develop international branding and
recruitment as NYSAIS schools work to expand
their international student enrollment
Promoting Your School Abroad: 5 Ways
to Get Your School Noticed
• American private schools are NOT like Hogworts in the Harry Potter
series with masters floating around ancient buildings in academic
gowns. While many British private schools cling to the old ways think Eton or Harrow – US independent schools are very different,
excellent – and marketable abroad
• It used to be so simple, didn't it? You printed a gorgeous brochure,
mailed it out to potential families and waited for the phone to ring
and the admissions appointments to be made. Not any more.
• You may have the best school, the best faculty, brilliant students,
etc., etc. But if you aren't exposing it to as many people as possible,
your market will be significantly reduced. Here are some 21st
century ways of promoting your school.
Twitter
• Twitter Twitter is part of something calledsocial media. Create a
Twitter account just for your school. Don't restrict access to the
account. All you are going to use this account for is promotional
material and public announcements and the like. Confidential
information for parents and faculty is best circulated in the usual
manner, i.e., via email or printed documents as necessary.
• Twitter messages are limited to 140 characters just like a text
message on your cellphone. But you can tweet photos and links to
websites. What do you send out via Twitter? Anything you want the
world outside your community to know. Stuff like sports scores and
events announcements are the sort of thing schools using Twitter
tweet on a regular basis. Who should manage your school's Twitter
account? Your public relations staff and/or the admissions staff.
Facebook
• Facebook Schools are discovering that
Facebook is a powerful tool for reaching
alumni. Unlike Twitter it is easy to aggregate
all your posts on your Facebook site. It's a
great place to store photo galleries of alumni
events, games and all the other exciting,
wonderful happenings and news you want
your community at home and abroad to be a
part of.
Professional Website
• The home-grown websites many schools used to
publish using Front Page are simply not up to the job in
the 21st century. You need a professionally designed,
secure website which allows your community and
potential families to interact easily with the school and
its staff. Online admissions materials and ways to give
money to the school are all part of that professional
package. If you don't spend the money to produce a
great website, you are missing the boat, not to
mention, hundreds of potential clients and donations.
Join Associations
• Most schools join their state or regional
independent school association. It's also a
good idea to join national associations such as
NAIS, TABS, NAPSEC, AACS and others. Keep
your contact information and website address
current in those listings.
Directory Listings
• Listings on sites like this one are free and offer wide
exposure to a world-wide audience. Paid listings in old
line directories such as Petersons.com and The Bunting
and Lyon Blue Book also get you lots of attention
especially from education professionals and
consultants.
• Listings on a website such as Boarding School Review
and its sister site Private School Review are a must
these days. Make sure your listing is complete and
appealing. It is also worth spending money on their
paid advertisements too.
Summary
• Marketing your school successfully in today's
highly competitive environment requires
presenting your message in many different
ways. Think outside the box. Network like
mad. Your school will get noticed.
• http://www.creosoteaffects.com/portfolio/ind
ependent
• http://www.ispginc.com/schoolconsultantsma
rketing
• http://privateschool.about.com/od/admmissi
ons/qt/seo.htm (including use of Twitter and
Facebook, joining associations, place school
name in directories)
Point #2:
Effective Ways to Mentor Intl. Students
in our School Communities
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https://www.exeter.edu/student_life/8471_8492.aspx
https://www.exeter.edu/student_life/8471_8491.aspx
https://www.exeter.edu/student_life/8471_8487.aspx
https://www.exeter.edu/student_life/8471_8488.aspx
https://www.exeter.edu/student_life/8471_8493.aspx
https://www.exeter.edu/student_life/8471_8490.aspx
https://www.exeter.edu/documents/Host_Family_For
m.pdf
Point #3:
4 Effective Ways to Mentor International
Students in our School Communities
• "I think coming here early would have helped for sure,"
says Huijia Phua, who came to the United States from
Singapore to attend the Yale University School of
Forestry and Environmental Studies. Now, she counsels
other international students through her company,
UNIcq.
• "I've had students who have come here for high school,
and they pick up English much faster ... and are more
used to the culture. The hope is that they would be
able to assimilate better into the general society of
America."
English Language Training
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1. English language training: Students around the world learn English in
classrooms, through study guides, and even by watching cartoons or listening to
the radio. But the study methods fall short of full exposure, some say.
[Get TOEFL test prep tips.]
"The fact is that real life immersion in the English language is going to get them
way farther than any classroom in their home country," says Krista Tacey, director
of international student services at Texas A&M University.
English training is one of the reasons Chinese student Judy Cao is in California for
high school, she says. "I was worried with my English speaking and listening,
because the English speaking and listening level that college courses require are
much higher than the English we learned from textbook[s] in China," Cao wrote in
an E-mail. "Even though we may get high score[s on the] SAT or TOEFL test, we will
still have problems on class and work."
Mastering English at the high school level may not be any easier than learning it in
college, but what can start out as a tough experience improves with time, Cao
notes.
Pre-College Navigation
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Pre-college navigation: Applying to college in the United States can be a long and
complicated process—with tests to take, schools and majors to explore, and essays
to write. And much of the process is riddled with lingo that is often unfamiliar to
international students, Phua notes, but which may be clearer for students if
they're already here.
"In the U.S., you get to know the terms [colleges] are using, like FAFSA, for
example," Phua says. "It's so much easier for them, compared to international
students who are not in the U.S."
[Get a guide to key higher education terms in the United States.]
It may also make the process simpler for some colleges—particularly public
institutions, Texas A&M's Tacey notes—if your student is applying with credentials
from a U.S. high school.
"It's much easier to compare apples to apples when you're looking at students
coming from a U.S. institution, regardless of whether they're an international
student," Tacey says. "The requirements for admission are much clearer when
you're looking at a transcript from a high school in Dallas than a transcript from a
high school in Beijing."
College Readiness
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In addition to a better understanding of the English language,
international students studying at U.S. high schools are exposed to
American-style teaching, which tends to be more participatory in
nature, says Melissa Cassel, dean of students at the Walnut Hill
School for the Arts, a private high school in Natick, Mass.
• That can be a big help once students are enrolled in college, Texas
A&M's Tacey notes.
• "[Some] students do very well on placement tests, but then get
here and absolutely struggle because the classroom pace is so fast,
and the requirement in our universities that students interact often
in class becomes a real challenge," she says.
• [Find out more about what has surprised some international
students.]
Social Acculturation
The college experience in the United States doesn't end when class is dismissed, and coming to high
school here can prepare students to succeed socially, too.
• "[Parents] are probably giving their students a big leg up when it comes to being socially
integrated," says John Burdick, dean of admissions and financial aid at the University of Rochester.
• The transition to college can be tough for any student, but with a prior understanding of cultural
norms, terms, and habits, your student may be better suited to fit into the fabric of a new school.
• Texas A&M's Tacey, who works with international students from around the world, says she saw a
noticeable difference in the transition period for a female student who had already been in the
United States for high school.
• "From day 1, she just seemed to have everything a whole lot easier because she already
understood the culture and the openness and the way people were," Tacey says.
• But for all the benefits a U.S. high school education can provide, the transition might be too much
for some students who come here on their own.
• "The extra distance and the time changes make it harder for us to communicate with parents; often
the kids are dealing with things ... more on their own," says Cassel of Walnut Hill School for the
Arts, where international students make up 30 percent of the student body.
• "[Parents] have to assess the maturity of their student[s] and their ability to be away from home
and handle things on their own, in the moment."
Introduction
• Key: administering successful international
student (exchange) programs
• international youth exchanges that enrich
independent day and/or boarding middle and
high school communities
• Communities with specific people: Head of
School, Admin. Staff, Global Programs
Director, Language Dept. Chair, Board, Parents,
Students
Introduction
• Current events clearly show how much more
interconnected all of us are to the whole world. This gives
schools ever more impressive reasons for accepting
international exchange students enthusiastically and using
them as resources to broaden student and community
perspectives on the world.
• Youth exchanges provide foreign exchange students with an
American experience, giving them a more balanced
understanding of our country. They encourage new
perspectives for the school's own students that open their
minds to the world. More importantly, these 'connections'
help teenagers on both sides of exchange grow and gain
maturity.
History
• The concept of exchange programs began more than half a century
ago with the Fulbright-Hays Act. High-level officials have supported
international student exchange every year since. These crosscultural experiences offer unique opportunities for American
schools to help their students and communities:
• Learn first-hand about other cultures and customs
• Create life-long friendships across cultures
• Gain new perspectives on our country and the world
• Begin to understand how tightly connected the peoples and
countries of the world are to each other, something our world
seriously needs
• Open young minds to the importance of understanding other
languages and other cultures, particularly with respect to career
and personal opportunities
• A t the same time, schools have a right to expect that
international exchange students and student exchange
programs to adhere to guidelines that will minimize
problems and make success more likely. In all
international exchange programming, the human
dynamic may sometimes complicate matters for
administrators. However, the critical element is the
ongoing relationship between the exchange program
and the school - as well as the responsiveness of the
exchange program. Once this relationship is formed
and articulated, problems can usually be managed
effectively and ultimately resolved.
Post-admission international student
support offerings
• How to support international students after
admission, including planning effective
orientation sessions, creating a caring
dormitory or host-family environment,
providing strong ESL training, and establishing
an international student support group
network
• How to get US-born students and faculty to assist
in welcoming and befriending international
students, including offering US faculty and
student “community involvement”
tutoring/academic support and extracurricular
activity involvement, college counseling, and
planning trips to their international students’
home countries during school vacations – and
how to recruit and support US host families,
including helping them to plan academic
vacations
• How to develop “global classrooms” with
advanced distance learning techniques,
achieving better pre-arrival connections
with/for international students and their
families, and better ‘buy-in’ from existing
students, faculty, administrators and parents
Working lunch
• Discussion of “How China’s New Love Affair
with US Private Schools is Changing them
Both” (The Atlantic, March 28, 2012)
• Getting vital support from US-based faculty,
students and families
• How to develop global classrooms – and Raise
Global IQ in our NYSAIS communities
• Groups report on final implementation plans
• 1. CSIET:� 212 S. Henry Street; Alexandria,
VA 22314 Phone: 703/739-9050; Fax:
703/739-9035; Email: mailbox@csiet.org
• Wally Swanson
• Arne Duncan
• Workshop de-briefing and evaluation
A New Prize……..
for US High School Students
Please, think big, right now……..
1. Harvard, Yale, Brown, Williams Book Prizes
2. Math Awards
3. Science Awards
4. Public Speaking
5. Drama
6. Athletics
7. A new prize………
Personal Quote
Please write down the THREE most important things that
we can do NOW to help prepare our students/ our children
for their futures in our shrinking planet.
- You
Quote
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Lost Generation
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWSYPDh
7O5Q
Albert Einstein
(1879-1955)
A quote from?
From: ___________________Salzburg, Austria
To: Friendship Among Children and Youth (Founded Under UNESCO),
New York
Date: November 22, 1952
•
"You young people should consider yourselves fortunate that you, in your
impressionable years, have the opportunity to exchange viewpoints and ideas
with those of a variety of cultural backgrounds. There is no better
opportunity to acquire the life-long insights that are necessary for the
resolution of international problems and conflicts.
In the hope that your endeavors have a lasting impact, I send you my
warmest greetings and wishes."
Alfred Nobel
(1833-1896)
Françoise Barré-Sinoussi
(b. 1947)
Mother Teresa
(1910-1997)
Famous Quotes
“Our lives come to an end when we become silent
about things that matter.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Lost Generation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWSYPDh
7O5Q
International Students:
Effective Ways to Find, Welcome, and
Mentor Them in our School Communities
Carl Hobert
Boston University