Host Families Needed for Visiting Japanese College Students

GRESHAM - Mt Hood Community College has partnered with Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Japan to bring Japanese students to the Gresham area as an exciting way to share American culture and the English language. More than a dozen students will be visiting in early 2016 and the college is seeking local area families who would like to act as host to a student.

Sixteen students between the ages of 18 and 24 are scheduled to arrive on February 13, and will be tentatively staying in Oregon through March 6. They will be attending classes at MHCC Mon-Fri, from 9 a.m. to Noon.

Host families are expected to provide breakfast and dinner, and must speak English while the guest student is present. An individual bedroom is preferred for each student, along with easy access to public transportation or a carpool. A stipend will be provided to help defray the costs.

The Ryukoku @ MHCC program can be incredibly rewarding not only for the visiting students, who get to experience American life first-hand but also for the host families, who often act as de facto innkeepers, tour guides and ambassadors to the student. For host families, this experience is often a fun first-time introduction to a foreign language and culture - but learned in the comfort of their own home from the student.

To ensure the safety of the students, a criminal background check will be conducted. A mandatory host family orientation will be held on the MHCC campus on the evening of January 22, 2016.

For additional requirements and more information on how to become a host family, please email Yoko Sato at yoko.sato@mhcc.edu