Tuesday, February 7, 2012

An experience of a lifetime!


VOLUNTEER HOST FAMILIES NEEDED
 For an experience of a lifetime!
STEP - Student Travel Exchange Program
Hosting a student is an incredible experience!  STEP provides invaluable life experiences to the students and host families alike. The program promotes cultural awareness to students coming to the United States and to the families hosting them.  Students get to discover the United States through meaningful experiences staying in an average American family home.  Lifelong friendships are formed.
STEP is a reliable organization with more than 20 years of experience and is headquartered in the Basque region of Spain, in the city of Bilbao.  STEP provides the opportunity for students learning English to practice their second language by being immersed in the American culture for one month during the summer.

Students will arrive on June 25, 2012 at JFK International Airport.  They will be brought by bus to a local, convenient location in Hicksville where host families can pick them up.  The students will return to Spain on July 22, 2012 and will be dropped off at the same local, convenient location in Hicksville.

A host family needs to provide a warm bed, a place at the table, and friendship!  The students come with their own money, so they can cover any of their own expenses such as if the host family decides to go out to dinner.  The students understand they will do whatever activities the host family would normally do.  Last summer, we took our student with us to North Carolina to visit family and to Pennsylvania.  If your normal activities are lounging around at home, playing video games, running errands, shopping, or going to the beach, that is fine too. 

The students will have 8 pre-planned activities/trips during their time here.  The events are as follows:

June 26, 2012 – Welcome Party – Host families and students are all welcome
June 28, 2012 – New York City
July 2, 2012 – Six Flags Great Adventure
July 9, 2012 – New York City
July 12, 2012 – New York City
July 16, 2012 – New York City
July 19, 2012 – Splish Splash
July 21, 2012 – Farewell Party – Host families and students are all welcome

Host families are not required to attend any of the trips.  If you do wish to attend any of the trips, we would need to know in advance so arrangements can be made and the proper number of tickets purchased.  All travel to NYC will be by train.  The remaining trips will utilize buses and will leave from a convenient, central location.

Your family will have the time of their life!  Please consider hosting a student this summer.  For more information, please contact John and Debbi Meyer at 516-935-3647 or hoststudentonli@gmail.com