|  | On Campus Residential Life | Fryeburg Academy Homestay Program | |
Fryeburg Academy is looking for families who are interested in providing short-term homestays for our boarding students, both international and domestic. We are not looking for host families for a semester or full academic year. The homestays would be during school vacations and on weekends. Please contact Liz Swasey, program coordinator, at lswasey@fryeburgacademy.org with questions. |
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| Frequently Asked Questions | Q. | Why do students want homestays, and why would I want to provide one? | | A. | Students have several reasons for wanting home stays. Many of our boarding students live too far away for a week-long trip home to be feasible. Spending a vacation with a family offers these students the opportunity to become better connected to the community and gives them the chance to take a break from dorm life. It also offers international students a chance to work on their English skills and a better understanding of American lifestyles and values. You, as a host family, in turn, have the opportunity to experience the culture and background of students from across the U.S. and from a variety of countries; and while there’s no guarantee that a student who stays with you will become a lifelong friend, this has certainly been known to happen! |
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| Q. | When do students need homestays? | | A. | Academy boarding students most often need homestays during Thanksgiving, February, and April vacations. Most students go home for the longer Christmas vacation. While dorms are open during long weekends, these would be wonderful opportunities for “mini-homestays”, as would any other weekend. |
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| Q. | What kind of family makes a good host family? | | A. | You may think that having teenage children is a requirement for being a host family; this is not at all the case. Families with children of any age – or without any children at all – can provide valuable, enriching experiences. We also have no parameters on the age or marital status of host parents. The only requirement is that you be open to and excited about welcoming a student in your home. |
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| Q. | What kind of accommodation is expected? | | A. | Students must have their own bedroom but do not need their own bath. If you host more than one student, they do not each need their own bedroom. Having an internet connection is not a requirement, but given how important web connectivity is to some students, we would like to be able to know if access to the internet is available at your house. |
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| Q. | What kind of food do students expect? | | A. | Students expect three meals a day. No matter where they are from, our boarding students will be accustomed to American food, so you needn’t prepare special meals. Of course, if you are curious about the food from a student’s country, you are welcome to include him/her in the planning and preparation of meals. We will only place a student with dietary restrictions with you if you are willing/able to accommodate. |
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| Q. | What should I expect of students who stay in my home? | | A. | Part of the process of becoming an adult is learning how to be a good guest. We will coach students on how to do this, e.g. to say please and thank you, clean up after themselves, offer their help with meals. |
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| Q. | What do students expect of families? | | A. | Every student is different, but most students hope to have experiences that they are missing by living in a dormitory (like home-cooked meals and feeling part of a family); or experiences that they cannot have in their home state or country (like apple picking or canoeing). |
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| Q. | What about language barriers? | | A. | Most international students at the Academy are conversationally-fluent English speakers, and their time with you will only help them become more so. Others are good readers and writers but have lacked the chance or motivation to practice speaking. Being in an American home is a great way to force them to practice! We usually have a few beginning speakers (who are great fun to communicate with!), but we will not place a student like this in your home if it would be uncomfortable for you. If you are willing to host more than one student at a time, we would not ask you to host two students who speak the same language. |
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| Q. | What about transportation to my house? | | A. | A student will feel most welcome if you come to campus to pick him/her up, but the Academy can arrange transportation to your home at the expense of the student. |
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| Q. | Will I receive compensation for hosting a student? | | A. | Families will receive a modest per diem compensation. Hosting a student, therefore, should not be seen as a source of income. Students understand that they are expected to pay for the cost of any activities during a homestay (e.g., a movie ticket, a lift ticket). This, however, does not mean that you cannot pay a student’s way. Some of our students come from quite limited means, and if you were able to absorb the cost of the entire homestay, you would be giving a gift. |
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| Q. | What about medical issues? | | A. | All Academy boarding students are required to have medical insurance. Therefore, if a medical emergency arises, you should not hesitate to take a student to the emergency room or to call an ambulance and then contact the emergency number at the Academy which we will provide. If a student becomes ill while at your home, please contact the administrator on duty to discuss the best course of action for the student. |
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| Q. | Do I have to be available to host a student every vacation and every weekend? | | A. | Of course not! You are free to choose when you open your home. You could either provide us with a list of dates that work for you, or we could contact you as the need arises. |
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| Q. | Can I pick the students I want? | | A. | If you or a member of your family has already made the acquaintance of a boarding student and would like to host him/her, you may contact us with a specific invitation for that student. Beyond that, you may indicate your preference for gender, age, or country of origin, but we ask that you be open to all students. |
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| Q. | How do I become a Fryeburg Academy host family? | | A. |
Because we want to make sure that our students are safe and comfortable during a homestays, we have established an application process. The first step is to submit the on-line Host Family Application or contact us at 207 935 2013 to have an application sent in the mail. Once your application is complete, we will contact you to set up a time to visit you in your home. |
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| | Fryeburg Academy Homestay Application Homestay Application
The application may be downloaded and filled in by hand or you may enter your information directly on the application form prior to printing. Submit completed applications to the Fryeburg Academy Admission Office, 745 Main Street, Fryeburg, ME 04037. Please e-mail Liz Swasey at lswasey@fryeburgacademy.org with questions. |
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