Exchange student host families sought

By kAtE Hill Staff Writer

Greenheart Exchange, a non-profit international educational exchange organization, is seeking Cazenovia area volunteers to host foreign exchange students for the 2023-24 school year.

One of three branches of the non-profit Greenheart International, Greenheart Exchange offers cultural exchange programs in the United States for people all around the world with the mission of promoting cultural understanding, academic development, environmental consciousness, and world peace.

The organization annually provides over 900 exchange students from more than 60 countries the opportunity to study in local public high schools for a five-month semester or a ten-month academic high school year.

This year, Greenheart has already placed one student, a 16-year-old boy from Ghana named Godfred, “Goddy,” at Cazenovia High School (CHS). He will be hosted by Jennifer Wardell and Tom Revelle of Cazenovia.

“He is a drummer and hopes to become a lawyer or a journalist,” said Catherine Jeannin, a local Greenheart coordinator.

CHS has three additional spots open for exchange students, but host families have yet to be secured for them.

According to Jeannin, Greenheart has many students to choose from, and they must be placed by Aug. 29.

“Imagine the kids waiting anxiously back home, waiting to hear if their dream to experience American life and culture will come true,” she said. “They’ve been waiting for well over a year.”

In the past 13 years, Jeannin has placed over 150 students from around the globe into several Central New York school districts, including Cazenovia, Chittenango, Canastota, Oneida,

Vernon Verona Sherrill, Westmoreland, Fayetteville-Manlius, Fabius-Pompey, and Bishop Grimes.

“The Cazenovia community has welcomed some amazing students from Japan, Bulgaria, the Gaza Strip, Spain, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Poland, Germany, South Korea, and Bolivia,” Jeannin said.

Greenheart placed four students at CHS both this past school year and the previous school year.

The 2022-2023 students were Medhat from Gaza Strip, Andy from Bulgaria, Reisa from Japan, and Julene from Spain.

The 2021-2022 placements were Faham from Pakistan, Lobar from Uzbekistan, Sarec from Germany, and Kota from Japan. Jeannin said she works primarily with “grants students,” high school students who have received a scholarship to come to the US for 10 months.

Two of the main student exchange scholarship programs are the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program and the KennedyLugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program.

Established in 1992 under the FREEDOM Support Act, the FLEX program enables high school students from 21 countries across Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia to live and study for an academic year in the US. The YES program, modeled after FLEX, was established following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, to build relationships and break down stereotypes between Americans and countries with significant Muslim populations. Applicants to both programs compete for scholarships through a rigorous, merit-based selection process.

“Under the auspices of the State Department, American Councils for International Education sends us students from the FLEX and YES programs,” said Jeannin. “The objective is to establish better relations with coun-

Submitted PhotoS tries from the former Soviet Union and [with] Muslim majority countries, [respectively]. .

Greenheart Exchange is seeking volunteers in the Cazenovia Central School District to host foreign exchange students .

. The students from FLEX and YES come here to learn about American democracy, the principles of a market economy, and how to help one’s community through volunteering. The students are required to volunteer a minimum of 40 hours, [but] many achieve 100plus. Many return to their home countries and become leaders in various ways. To be clear, all exchange students bring cultural diversity to our communities and teach us about the world beyond our shores. They are a gift to us all.”

This year, Greenheart was allotted 53 YES students and it still needs to place 11. It was also allotted 86 FLEX students and it still needs to place 17, according to Jeannin.

“Greenheart is one of a few placement or-

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