[Mn-at-large] Blind Exchange Student Looking for Host Family

[David Andrews]

>
>The following was sent to me and other State 
>Rehabilitation Council – Blind members by Carol 
>Pankow, Director, Minnesota State Services for the Blind.
>
>From:
>Mary Armstrong [
>mailto:armstrong.mary at me.com
>]
>Sent:
>Thursday, March 31, 2016 8:39 PM
>To:
>SSB, Info (DEED) <
>ssb.info at state.mn.us>
>Subject:
>Please Share Announcement to Blind Community - 
>Host Family sought for Blind Exchange student
>
>Dear MN State Services for the Blind Staff -
>I am approaching the MN State Services for the 
>Blind with a unique opportunity that may 
>interest the blind community, and would ask that 
>you might share this announcement out to the blind community.
>
>I am a volunteer  Local Coordinator for a high 
>school foreign exchange program called CCI 
>Greenheart (a nonprofit agency that works in the 
>field of high school foreign exchange with an 
>emphasis on being green/volunteer service), as 
>well as being a mom to a vision impaired young 
>adult.  As such, I sometimes receive requests 
>from our headquarters to place unusual exchange 
>students with special needs.  My office knows 
>that I am somewhat connected to the blind 
>community in the Twin Cities, so I am reaching out to you!
>  This year (2016/2017) we have an exchange 
> student, Yelyzaveta (girl from Ukraine) who is 
> blind.  I am searching for a volunteer host 
> family who is not intimidated by the idea of 
> hosting a young lady from Ukraine who would be 
> arriving in August and staying through early 
> June.  She would attend the local public high 
> school where the host family is identified, and 
> I think it would be great to see if she might 
> be able to volunteer and be exposed to some of 
> the services at Blind Inc.  The Twin Cities would be a great place for her!
>  Some general Information:
>  I am hoping to share an announcement out in 
> the blind community about the need for a 
> volunteer host family for Yelyzaveta, a 16 year 
> old girl from Ukraine.  Yelyzaveta enjoys music 
> and singing in a choir.  She plays a 
> traditional Ukrainian folk instrument, and 
> enjoys cooking, gardening, and reading.  A 
> volunteer host family provides a room, meals 
> and a caring environment for her while she 
> attends school for the academic school 
> year.  She is part of a US State Department 
> sponsored scholarship program called the FLEX 
> program, which is a merit scholarship awarded 
> based on English ability, academics, and 
> personal interviews.  Yelyzaveta is required to 
> perform volunteer service while on program, and 
> she also will attend a special disability prep 
> program provided by MIUSA to help her prepare 
> for the exchange experience in the US.
>
>All of our host families complete an on-line 
>application including criminal background 
>checks, photos, references, and an in-home 
>interview.  Host families must be at least 26 
>years old, and be able to provide transportation 
>to CCI events approximately once every 4-6 
>weeks.  Students speak English, have medical 
>insurance, and their own spending money. They 
>also receive some additional funds to cover 
>incidentals and necessary school books (such as 
>Braille books) as part of the program.  As a 
>Local Coordinator, I provide enhancement 
>activities, orientations, and support services 
>throughout the student’s stay on 
>program.  There’s a 24 hour emergency hotline in 
>case of any problems concerning health or safety of the student.
>
>Last year we have a tremendously successful 
>blind student on program named Vladimir 
>(Russia).  He was an outstanding example of a 
>successful seeing impaired student.  He tried 
>everything from the swim team to wrestling, 
>although he had never done it before.  I am 
>hoping that by reaching out to y’all that maybe 
>someone might be interested in learning more 
>about the program, and that someone might be 
>able to open their home to this exceptional 
>student who is coming the US as our special needs blind student.
>Our family has hosted 15 exchange students over 
>the years, and it has been quite a positive 
>experience.  I am always happy to answer 
>questions about the hosting experience.
>Thanks for all the work you do.   Please feel 
>free to share this information with anyone you 
>feel might make a great host family.  Please 
>feel free to check out our nonprofit website:
>www.ccigreenheart.org
>.  CCI is fully accredited by CSIET (Council on 
>Standards for International Educational Travel).
>Best regards,
>Mary Armstrong
>  Local Coordinator
>  CCI Greenheart