Saturday, March 17, 2012

About the STEP Program

STEP is a 23-day homestay program for Spanish teens ages 14-17 years old from the Basque region in northern Spain. Students arrive on Wednesday, June 27 and depart on Monday, July 23.

This is a great program for families with  teenagers and also those with younger children or  without children. Ask your friends and neighbors to host,  as well it's a lot of fun to share the experience. Opening your door to a new culture, without the expense of traveling, can truly change your world and establish a friend for life.

Let's help promote global awareness! Spanish students are great role models for today's teens.  They are so gracious to come to America and experience an American home.  Most of the students and their hosts say this is the most rewarding experience they've ever had with memories that stay with them for the rest of their lives. So don't wait, sign up today. Contact: Norm Oakes (802-579-3433) or Ann Newsmith (802-257-4710) or email exchangevt@gmail.com

Host Family Responsibilities: Host families provide a bed, 3 meals a day and transportation to and from student excursions. All students speak some English, travel with spending money and medical insurance.  Students are to be treated as members of your family and not a guest.  STEP takes care of all the big excursions, so your responsibility as a host  is to practice English with your student and integrate them into your daily summer routine.

The Host Family Application Process- The STEP application process is very simple.  You can fill out the application online, and you will need to provide two references. Simply email or mail the application to us and we will set-up a home visit at your convenience.

How do I/we pick a student? Once the application process is complete,  you will have access to the student profiles and can choose a student who will be a good fit for your family.  We have boys and girls with many interests,  ranging from sports to music and theater, so you can choose the student who will enjoy some of the same activities as your family.

Students attend full-day excursions: Students will take trips to Six Flags and to Boston.  Host family members are welcome to join if space is available. Host families are  required to get their students to a central pick-up and drop location (Exit 1, Brattleboro).