ICES offers opportunities to host an exhange student
<p>Nancy Winebrenner poses with two of her exchange students, Louise and Pavol.</p>
SANDERS COUNTY – International Cultural Exchange Services offers families a chance to bring in a foreign exchange student for ten months, housing the student while they study abroad and it gives the opportunity to open up one’s heart to a new culture.
Nancy Winebrenner helps make placements of students into families, finding ideal matches for both the parties involved.
In her fourth year of placing students, her favorite part of the job is getting to know the kids for who they are. After getting involved Winebrenner has found a passion for helping these kids fulfill their dreams of coming to America.
“I want to see the students come and have fun. These kids dream of this, some of these students dream of coming to America their whole lives,” said Winebrenner. “It’s a huge experience for the kids.”
The experience is both rewarding to the families involved and the children who get to live out this long held dream.
This year Winebrenner helped place five students with families in Sanders County: two in Hot Springs, one in Plains and two in Thompson Falls.
Winebrenner explained that students from all over the world are looking for an opportunity to come to America. She has a very large pool of students to go through and they span from as far as Slovakia, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Japan and anywhere one could imagine.
In order to ensure she makes a good pairing, Winebrenner looks at the interests of both the families and the students, matching their hobbies and interests.
“I really like it that the family can pick and choose their own students so it fits better with their family. It’s so important that it fits,” said Winebrenner. “It’s 10 months, it’s a huge commitment. They are opening their homes and their hearts.”
Not only is it rewarding to those involved, Winebrenner also finds the students touch her heart.
“I love just sharing time with the students, getting to know a little about them and a little about their country,” said Winebrenner. “I’m their other mother besides the host parents they have. I try to be another ear for them, another supporter.”
In her years of doing this, Winebrenner has not been let down.
“I feel like anyone who does it will not be sorry,” said Winebrenner.
For more information or for those interested in hosting a foreign exchange student contact Nancy Winebrenner at 741-3376 or email her at nancy2winebrenner@yahoo.com.