International Student Program Providing a World of Possibilities
INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE
NEXT DAY SCHOOL PROGRAM
Established in 1996, NEXT International Cultural Exchange is a non-profit International Student Exchange agency, which facilitates the education of international students and creates global communities within American high schools. As a fully accredited organization, NEXT is supported by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET). We have also formed numerous partnerships with recruiting agencies abroad in countries such as China, South Korea, Vietnam and Mexico. We are currently working to forge relationships with agencies in Brazil and Germany.
organization that, amongst other functions, establishes ethical guidelines and supports the education NEXT International Cultural has passed this assessment for each of the last several years.
Dear Friends, be motivated to have wonderful intercultural experiences. NEXT International Cultural Exchange is a professional organization which aims for the personal progress and development of youth through education. have great potential for making contributions to society. In particular, we actively support global student exchanges. By means of our program we hope to establish a variety of interpersonal networks, and be instrumental in the production of creative and enterprising leaders for the future of the world. I want to share my experience and knowledge learned from working for many years with experts, as well as parents and To those interested in investing in a brighter future, I wish to extend an future belongs to you. I would ask all interested students to embark on your adventure as
Charles Yun CEO, NEXT International Cultural Exchange www.nextglobal.org
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What we do Our dedication to our students keeps us motivated to do all that we can to ensure their success in American schools.
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Founded in 1996, NEXT works with various schools throughout the country to create meaningful and well-organized international programs. NEXT brings diverse groups of students to create multi-cultural communities in schools across the United States. • NEXT guarantees 100% US college admission • Recommends private schools • Finds qualified host families (Background check and supervision of host families & students throughout the duration of the program) • 24 hour emergency phone service • Academic counseling, tutoring arrangement and professional college consulting
Our mission is to provide students with the opportunity for new cultural experiences and to support their academic success
At NEXT, our dedication to our students keeps us motivated to do all that we can to ensure their success in American schools. In this global community, many youths have a strong interest in world cultures and it is important that they are given all the resources and tools to succeed in exploring this interest. NEXT
provides these tools to students. Facilitating interactions promotes mutual understanding and creates a new generation of global citizens. We are committed to helping provide a quality education to students from all over the world.
www.nextglobal.org
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NEXT Programs NEXT is committed to the academic and personal development of students willing to experience life abroad.
The following programs are available through NEXT -F1 Academic Study Program - Short Camp Program (Winter and Summer) -Academic consulting -Tutoring arrangement (TOEFL, SAT, AP) -Professional College Consulting program -Boarding School student management program -Mentoring Program Pope John Paul II High school
Christopher Dock Mennonite High school
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Professional College Consulting Program High school seniors have many questions regarding the college application process. Students may feel confused as to which colleges they should apply, when to apply, and how to apply. It is even more pronounced for International students who have no prior knowledge or resources to assist them. That is why NEXT Global Education Group is offering services for students who are in need of help to complete and submit their college applications. Our college consulting service will - Gather and organize student’s academic achievements and extracurricular activities. - Advise in college selection after the assessment. - Create login id/pw for college applications. - Assist in filling out the online applications. - Help with college essay brainstorming, writing, and editing. - Make sure other necessary documents such as Certificate of Finances or standardized test scores are submitted. Prior to 12th grade, our college consulting service will - Plan academic and extracurricular activities. - Provide college information. - Register at a high school as the legal guardian to access student’s performance. - Plan a timeline when to take required entrance exams eg. SAT I/SAT II/TOEFL/AP
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NEXT Mentoring Program
NEXT Mentoring Program will pair qualified mentors with current NEXT high school students. Our goal is to motivate and enhance academic growth as well as personal growth through shared experiences. 1. Academic Growth This program is designed to guide motivated international high school students in achieving their academic goals and personal improvement. NEXT staff will arrange the best mentoring match for our high school students. Our knowledgeable mentors attend top universities or were once part of the NEXT Program. 2. Sharing Knowledge Mentors will share their experiences with the mentees. This program will provide high school students with the skills to prepare them for achieving their academic goals. 3. Benefits for both the mentors and the mentee By sharing knowledge and experience, both the mentor and mentee will benefit from each other. Mentors will gain leadership and management skills. Mentees will develop confidence by actively preparing their college career. Through NEXT’s Mentoring Program, our students will be provided with the tools to overcome any obstacles and challenges and to turn weakness into strength.
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Open your heart and home, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Host Families NEXT International has a vast network of carefully selected families to welcome students from all over the world into their homes. A series of interviews along with a thorough screening process, ensures that each student will be placed in a trustworthy and loving home. Students who have an opportunity to join the NEXT program will gain a more valuable gift than just an education. They will also gain a full cultural experience by living with an American family. NEXT host families treat their exchange student as a member of their familiy and engage the student in activities and excursions. The immersion process of learning a second language is more valuable than merely learning a language through a book. Students that return from the NEXT Exchange Program have a deeper appreciation of their culture as well as other cultures.
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Become a NEXT Host Family! Why be a host family? Each year, thousands of families across the United States
welcome international exchange students. Hosting an international teenager is truly an experience of a lifetime. It is an opportunity to teach and share perspectives of each other’s own cultures. Actually, host families are essential to exchange student programs, because immersion is the best way for a student to learn.
Opening your home to a NEXT exchange student is a step you can take to experience different cultures. Becoming a host family also greatly benefits future generations. Open your heart and be part of the opening of a new world. NEXT Host Families provide room and board for NEXT high school exchange students and treat the student as a member of the family.
Requirements:
• Provide a warm and loving home with full room and board. • Local transportation (students are not permitted to drive during the program) • Students will attend a Private High School in your area • Treat the student as a member of the family, which may include household rules and responsibilities. • Show love and care with an open heart. • Enjoy the enriching experience of becoming a host family.
NEXT support our host families
Once you join the NEXT family and are successfully matched with a student, NEXT staff will provide an orientation session. Our bilingual and multicultural support staff facilitates communication between your family and your student’s natural parents. This bilingual staff is available for translation services throughout your student’s stay. Our Local Coordinators will provide ongoing support for your family throughout the student’s stay. NEXT provides academic support and arranges activities for your international student. NEXT supports a monthly reimbursement to off-set expenses that maybe incurred.
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Host families are essential to exchange student programs, as immersion is the best way to learn.
Q&A for Host Families How do I become a potential Host Family? We ask that you fill out our application packet. Included are an application and a host family agreement. We also ask that you send some photos of your home and family. One of our local coordinators will perform a home visit and interview your family in person. After you are chosen to be a host family, we will conduct a criminal background check on household members aged 18 years or greater. When do the students arrive and leave? Most of the students come to the United States at the end of August or early September. If there are no problems during the year, they will leave around the middle of June. NEXT will provide you with your student’s flight information prior to their arrival in the U.S. We ask that the Host family picks their student up at the airport. Can I choose the student? You have the choice of hosting a boy or girl and the age of the student. You can also choose a student best suited for your family based on different interests and preferences. May I host more than one International Student at a time? We recommend that only one student be placed with a host family at a time. However, exceptions will be made on a case by case basis. Do the students bring their own spending money? Yes, students will spend their own money on personal expenses such as school lunches and supplies, clothes, and entertainment. Do I have to drive my student to and from school? Your student may walk, be driven by a family member or a friend with a driver’s license, or take the school bus. It may be necessary to drive the student depending on circumstances. Is there any limitation on the use of internet-capable devices? Yes, students may use the computer when they need to do homework but standard household computer rules apply in all other situations. What do I do if the student gets in trouble? Please report the problem immediately to your assigned Local Coordinator. They will work with you to solve the problem. www.nextglobal.org
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What if the student breaks the program rules such as those regarding tobacco/ alcohol use etc.? NEXT will send a formal warning letter twice times to the student’s natural parents and to his/ her home country’s agency. If the student still does not listen or follow the rules, he/she will be removed from the program. What if the student becomes ill? The students have medical and accident insurance through a traveler’s insurance company. Should the student need to see a doctor for a minor illness, he/she will pay the doctor’s office first then submit both a doctor’s note and the receipt to NEXT for reimbursement. If the student goes to the emergency room for a major illness he/she will call the insurance company to inform them. The insurance company will pay the bill directly to the hospital. We encourage students to visit their local urgent care center as alternative. Can I communicate with the student’s natural parents? Please, do not communicate with parents directly. If you have any concerns or problems, please let NEXT know about it first. Also we do not recommend that you communicate with your students before they come to the USA. If you need to communicate, please let NEXT know and you can go through us to get in touch with the student. We are traveling out of state to visit relatives. What is the procedure? Please inform NEXT personnel if your student plans on visiting another state with the host family. A travel release form needs to be signed by the student’s natural parents and by NEXT. As the student’s guardian, NEXT needs to be kept abreast of the student’s whereabouts at all times. If the student decides not to join the host parents on an overnight trip, other accommodations for the student need to be made by the host family and with approval from NEXT. Do host parents help with a student’s school assignments? While it would be very nice of you to help, it is not required. If a student needs extra academic support, a tutor can be arranged through NEXT. Under what circumstances will a student change host families? A student may change host families if the student is not fed properly, if there are ongoing personal conflicts with familiy members, or on a case-by-case basis depending upon circumstances. We do make every effort to solve any issues before resorting to moving a student. What is the Host Family selection process like? After we receive your completed application and agreement, we make a one page informational profile of your family. We include basic information such as your names, occupations, other family members and pets. Also included are the photos that you sent and a brief introduction to your family. We then send this profile page, along with a few others, to the student and their natural parents. The student and his family look at the profile pages and choose a family. They let us know who the chosen family is and then we inform you! 10
www.nextglobal.org
Learning is always rewarding but learning on giving...
Contact Us If you are interested in enrolling a student into any of our programs and wish to speak with a representative, please contact us to start the application process.
INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE
290 Pennbrook parkway Lansdale, PA 19446 Office: 267-263-2481 Fax: 855-277-6562 www.nextglobal.org
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Testimonials
From Xuedi Wang (Beijing, China)-2nd year with NEXT
I am an international student from Beijing, China, and my name is Xuedi Wang (Judy). I am studying with 13 other students from NEXT at Lansdale Catholic High School in Pennsylvania. I am really happy to work with NEXT because they are nice and dedicated. I was picky with food and living arrangements, wanting to find the best host family fit for me. It was NEXT who helped me find several host families and I chose which one was the best fit for me. Right now I have built a good relationship with my host family. Also, NEXT works really well on our school related matters. They supervise how we are doing at school and report correctly to our parents. Since NEXT has a lot of experience, whenever I have problems I can always ask for help. No matter what kind of difficulties, they are willing to help me. In addition, this year I am applying to enter college in the US and I get a lot of suggestions from Next, through their college orientation and after school tutoring. One thing I have to talk about is that my local coordinator is awesome! She is the nicest person I have met in the US. She always asks us where we want to have fun, taking us to ice skating, a movie, Chinatown, auto shows etc. She even invited me to come over to her house to bake a cake with her daughter who is the same age as me. Whenever I see her, she is smiling and ready to be a good listener to hear me share my stories. Personally, NEXT is just like a big family for me. Whenever I feel lonely or strange being with Americans, or uncomfortable in the environment, I just contact with my local coordinator, Tammy, or I go their office because I am sure they are there and they will help me.
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From Ben Ju (Kangwondo, Korea)--4th year with NEXT My name is Hyeonseong Ju (Ben), and I am a senior at Lansdale Catholic High School. I began my journey in the United States with NEXT International Cultural Exchange about four years ago in 2011. NEXT helped me adapt to school and life in the United States, and with them, the past four years I spent in the United States were truly joyous and valuable. When I first came to the United States as a freshman in high school, I was completely mindless and lost. However, as NEXT introduced me to Lansdale Catholic and my current host family, I now belonged to a whole new community, and I began to get along with everyone around me. During my early years at Lansdale Catholic, NEXT gave me valuable advice on how to study and what courses to take as well. Ever since I came to the United States, NEXT has been checking my academic status monthly and visiting my school regularly. Thanks to their continual care and service, I have never faced any problems at school or at home. NEXT not only promotes education among students and gives educational guidance but also holds student meetings and field trips which permits students to enjoy their leisure time and relieve stress. NEXT annually holds at least two or three student meetings and does an educational presentation that includes helpful information such as the information about SATs and the college application process, while providing delicious meals. Furthermore, Mrs. Tammy Sergeyev from NEXT offers field trips to students every month so that they can get outside of their houses and see and experience the things that are unique in America. With such opportunities, my experience in the United States became more meaningful. NEXT is certainly the one that motivated me to continue studying in the United States, and the one that has always been driving me to success. NEXT’s educational advice and guidance lead me to not only obtain a high academic GPA in school, but also to possess future academic plans and goals. Every time I visit NEXT, I am cordially welcomed and questioned about my status in school and home. Indeed, NEXT is a genuine family which offers me education and an infinite amount of care. With NEXT, I am no longer alone, no longer incompetent, and no longer lost in this distant country.
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INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE
290 Pennbrook parkway Lansdale, PA 19446 Office: 267-263-2481 Fax: 855-277-6562 www.nextglobal.org