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Letter: Host a student, build understanding

By Carol Whitaker, BRUSH PRAIRIE
Published: May 16, 2017, 6:00am

In these troubled times, who can argue that increased intercultural awareness is not a good thing? It’s good for our families, our communities and for the students who we bring here to share a year of their lives in another country. I am writing to ask families in Clark County to consider hosting an exchange student for the 2017-18 school year.

Over the last 10 years, my husband and I have hosted four exchange students and gotten to know dozens more as volunteers for AFS, the oldest student exchange organization in the country. These young people have taught us about their cultures (and our own) in ways too numerous to mention. As a result of our involvement we now have children we can visit in Japan, Germany, Thailand, Turkmenistan and Italy. How cool is that? These incredible young people can melt your heart, break down stereotypes and build understanding between cultures.

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