16-year-old Ena Yajima from Tokyo in class at McCoy (Photo by Ross Lavigne)

By Hayley Ferguson

Homestay Program Expansion

International homestay brings new culture to both students and host families

Sep 13, 2019 | 10:27 AM

Medicine Hat, AB – For 16-year-old Ena Yajima from Tokyo, the start of the school year means more than than just new teachers and new classes.

It means a whole new culture.

“My favorite Japanese teacher came to Canada to study English. I want to communicate with more people.” She said.

Her classmate Spanish classmate Saray DeLaFuente agreed.

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“I think that I can learn the culture from Canada and learn more English.” She smiled.

Not all of the lessons the two girls will learn though will come from the classroom, but from the Medicine Hat families, they are staying with.

“She is just delightful. She has fit right in with the family so well. She’s just like one of my children already.” Ena’s homestay mom, Marion McRoberts said.

McRoberts knows first hand what a special experience homestay can be.

Four of her children traveled and stayed with families from across the world.

“It opens up the world. And you learn about not only international politics but culture and foods. It’s opened up my daughter.” She continued. “She had a goal when she was young to travel to 21 countries by the time she was 21. She has now traveled to 39 countries and she has a place to stay in almost all of them.”

For Wanda Simmons, the International Educator Supervisor with the Catholic Board of Education, those connections are special.

“They do teach us a lot about patience, and understanding, and welcoming another culture. Also, most homestay families will become connected on a long-term base with the students that come to their home.” She said.

Both Simmons and McRoberts agree it does more than just connect families to other countries though, it connects them to their own homes.

“I think you have more of a sense of community. You get involved with what’s going on in the city.” McRoberts continued. “You actually learn all about your own community. We’ve gone out to Echo Dale, and we went out to Red Rock Coulee and she just thought I had taken her to the moon!”

Ena Yajima at Red Rock Coulee (Photo courtesy of Marion McRoberts)

Simmons is hopeful she can help expand the program to bring in students from across the world.

“We’re now going out into the market to have international students come and join our school community. In the past, we kind of didn’t have somebody in the position. So now they’ve decided to commit to it and we’re going to go out and locate students to come and attend our district.” She explained.

To expand though, they need more families to open their doors.

Families can host short-term students for 3-6 months or long term for 10-12.

McRoberts says she couldn’t recommend it enough.

“It’s the most fabulous experience that you can have. It truly is. She’s probably my 14th or 15th student to host. I’ve done a lot of short-term hosting and I haven’t had a bad one. It’s been fabulous.”