MOOSE JAW — Organizers of a student exchange program are already looking for host families for January after successfully finding placements for 22 high school youths who will be arriving soon.
Co-ordinator Lindsay Alliban has been involved in bringing international students to southwest Saskatchewan since 2009, while Moose Jaw’s Dwight Cameron has been working with her since 2021 after he and his family hosted an international student.
For the past several years, Alliban and Cameron have been placing high school students from Brazil in homes in Prairie South School Division and Chinook School Division, with these placements running from three to five months.
The exchange program provides students with an immersive experience in Canadian culture, including visits to tourist attractions and historical sites, and an experience in Canadian classrooms. Meanwhile, host families play a vital role by engaging in activities, sharing home-cooked meals and encouraging participation in household chores and other routines.
“I just have a passion for international students in Saskatchewan. I think it’s a really cool opportunity,” Alliban said.
The program co-ordinator noted that she is from the 100-person community of Hazlet, northwest of Swift Current, and believes it’s great to have more international students in rural schools since they bring “diversity and vibrancy to our classrooms” and help Canadian youths learn about other cultures.
Alliban recalled being in Grade 12 in Hazlet and having a small number of high school students there. However, the school brought in international students, which “changed the whole dynamic” of the building.
“It gave a chance for me to have more friends within my school. It (also) opened the world to me (because) I’ve been to many different countries now visiting some of my previous international students,” she said. “And it just really opened up a lot of connections for me.”
Alliban and Cameron brought in 15 Brazilian students during the previous school year, with those youths staying with families in Prairie South and Chinook from February to June. She noted that the students were timid when they arrived, but eventually settled in with their families and communities.
Continuing, Alliban said Saskatchewan is a welcoming and safe province, while rural residents are willing to show these international students what life is like on a farm or ranch.
“We have awesome host families, so that makes a big difference,” she remarked.
The program co-ordinators work with the Brazilian government to bring in the students, with the government sponsoring youths from low-income areas who would never have the ability to travel like this without support.
Twenty-two Brazilian students are arriving in southwest Saskatchewan during the last week of August, while Alliban and Cameron have already found host families for them. However, the co-ordinators are now looking for families to host youths coming in January.
To host a student, families must submit information about themselves, including their interests and employment, along with a photo of the home, a criminal record check and two non-family references.
The program co-ordinators will also visit families to learn more about them and ensure the home is safe and has working smoke detectors and a window in the bedroom for the prospective student.
“I think it’s a really wonderful opportunity for host families,” Alliban added.
To become a host family, contact Dwight Cameron at 306-690-7271 or [email protected], or contact Lindsay Alliban at 1-306-741-3775 or [email protected].
