Grain Valley Welcomes Exchange Student

This August one international high school exchange student will be arriving in Grain Valley on the CIEE High School Exchange program. Stina from Germany will be staying with the Jobe family and is most excited to “learn about American culture, try new things, and eat delicious food.” The Jobe family is a first-time host family with CIEE and they are eager to have a new family member join their household this summer.

Stina will attend Grain Valley High School and will stay for a full academic year.

Each year, international high school students representing more than 70 nationalities come to the U.S. to experience American culture as part of CIEE’s High School Exchange program. Students attend local high schools, live with American host families, and participate in extracurricular activities and athletics. During their stay, students also give back to their host communities by participating in volunteer projects and community service activities. Through the High School Exchange

program, CIEE provides lifechanging cultural exchange opportunities that help students, families, and schools gain new perspectives and develop lifelong relationships that cross borders and cultures.

Founded in 1947, CIEE is the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization, serving over 300 U.S. colleges and universities, 1,000 U.S. high schools, and more than 35,000 international exchange students each year. CIEE operates 60 study centers in 40 countries, sponsors international faculty training programs, teach abroad programs, and various specialty and custom programs for secondary, post-secondary, and international students.

Families interested in hosting an international exchange student can contact Judy Bintliff, CIEE Local Coordinator, at judybintliff@outlook.com or visit https://www.ciee.org/partner/ hosts/host-families to learn more about the program.