School Hosting

Benefits for Schools Hosting Partners of the Americas Costa Rican High School Students

• Oregon/Washington students have an opportunity to enjoy a firsthand look at the culture of Costa Rica.
• Having a native Spanish speaker in language classes provides a speech model for Oregon/Washington language students.
• International organizations and clubs benefit from interaction with Costa Rican exchange students.
• Developing friendships with Costa Rican students can inspire Oregon/Washington language students to travel and study abroad.
• History, social studies, and government classes can gain new perspectives about Latin America by exchanging ideas with Costa Rican students.
• Oregon/Washington students will gain an appreciation for what they have by hosting.
• Host families become more involved in school activities through the hosting experience.
• Hosting a Costa Rican exchange student brings increased sensitivity to cultural differences between the United States and Latin America.
• Costa Rican students can contribute special talents to school activities.

Assurances about the Impact on Schools of Hosting a Costa Rican Student for 4 weeks

• Costa Rican students do not enroll in school; rather they shadow their host brother/sister to classes.
  Teachers do not assign homework or give grades.
• Costa Rican high school students who have been carefully and competitively selected to represent their
  communities and country
• Two English speaking chaperones travel with the program, know the students well, and are tasked with
  checking in regularly to support and guide students. They are readily available in the very unlikely event that any issues arise.
• Host Students will submit paper work with all contact, medical, and vaccination information to the school
  office.
• We carefully disperse Costa Rican students throughout Oregon so that no more than 2-3 students will attend
  the same high school at any given time.
• Costa Rican students come with proof of all required vaccinations, including COVID, as well as medical
  insurance.
• The Oregon Committee carefully screens host families and acquires school permission for the
  immersion program.