Abbotsford is becoming a hot bed for international students… and that’s putting some pressure on finding homestays for our foreign visitors.
Many Japanese groups choose Abbotsford as their homestay destination as the natural beauty of the community entices the Japanese schools to promote English as a second language programs to their high-school-aged students all over Japan.
EduTour has been bringing exchange students into the Abbotsford area for more than 20 years. While they have had a huge amount of success finding families to come forward to host the Japanese students, this summer, with only a few weeks before groups arrive, they are still in need of many host families.
The dates are July 27 to Aug. 7 or July 31 to Aug. 13. The students will need to be driven to and from school each day, their classes are being held at St. John Brebeuf High School.
Abbotsford has so much to offer with so many beautiful farms, berry picking and so much more for the Japanese students to learn about in the community and Canadian culture.The biggest request often is to visit Abbotsford City Hall and to meet the mayor. Any opportunity for a picture with Abby PD, the mayor or any city official is a highlight for their time in Abbotsford.
Hosting a student for a short-stay this summer is also an excellent opportunity for families new to hosting.
Host families receive $40 per night to host a student. If you can host a student, contact Jody Garneau at garneau7@telus.net or Margot Olah at margot@edutour.ca