Local News in Brief : Countywide : Host Families Needed for Exchange Students

Host families are needed for high school exchange students from Scandinavia, France, Holland, Great Britain, Spain and Canada for the upcoming school year.

The students are 15 to 18 years old, fluent in English, have their own spending money and expect to share in family responsibilities and activities.

Among the students are Pablo, from Spain, who enjoys diving, basketball, soccer and billiards; Silva, from Sweden, who loves ballet and jazz dancing; and Mathias, of Germany, whose interests are computers, politics and sports.

“Potential host families come from a wide variety of backgrounds and life styles. Ideal host families are open-minded, have an interest in people, especially those from another culture, and have a sense of humor,” said Kathy Warburton, area coordinator for Southern California with ASSE International (formerly American Scandinavian Student Exchange), a nonprofit international student exchange program.

The organization helps each host family choose a student who has some common interests, and keeps in touch with the host family and student throughout the year. Interested families should contact local representatives Chuck and Tina Conner at (714) 552-7561.