Host Family Topics
Check in with host family from previous cycle to see how they are doing (CA)
How has your readjustment been since host student has left?
Discuss participant's perception on holiday's/compare to major home country holiday - find similarities and differences, what values are reflected in each (CL)
How do you feel your participant's perceptions are of American holidays and how do you feel that they might differ from his/her home countries?
Prepare traditional dish from home country as a surprise (CL)
What do you feel a traditional dish is that you could provide to host student?
See if an article about us could be put into the newspaper (G&E)
Do you have any ties to any local newspaper’s?
Be there and ready to listen to our times of homesickness (CA)
Has your participant come to you with any signs of homesickness?
How did you handle it?
Review cultural adjustment highs and lows and what to do/not do (CA)
Can explain the highs and lows your student has had?
Keep kids busy during school break or may get lonely/homesick (CA)
Do you have any advanced plans for the participant during his/her school break? I ask this as students that are not as active will feel more homesick than others.
Look into ways that we could share our holiday traditions with the school and community (CL)
Does the school or community have any ways to share holiday traditions, such as: festivals, plays, or other events?
Encourage host family to complete CSE when it arrives (A&U)
Can you please complete the CSE when it arrives?
Participant Topics
Discuss participant's perception on holiday's/compare to major home country holiday - find similarities and differences, what values are reflected in each (CL)
What are your perceptions of American holidays, and how do you feel that they might be similar and/or differ from your home country?
Review cultural adjustment highs and lows and what to do/not do (CA)
What do you feel your highs and lows have been? How can you better handle some of these lows?
Look into ways that we could share our holiday traditions with the school and community (CL)
How do you think you can better share your home countries holidays at your school or in the community, in general?
Have a little conference time with the student and family where we discuss ways that everyone has grown from the experience (G&E)
How do you all feel that this experience has gone? How do you all feel that you have grown from this experience?
Talk with the family and student about ways that students and families disconnect with one another and encourage everyone to remain connected (G&E)
What are methods that you all can use to stay connected throughout the years?
Key
A&U = AFS and You
PSW = Personal Safety and Well-being
CL = Culture Learning
CA = Cultural Adjustment
G&E = Goals and Expectations
RL = Required Logistics