CAZENOVIA — Greenheart Exchange, a non-profit international educational exchange organization, has started seeking Cazenovia area volunteers to host foreign exchange students for the 2025-26 school year. The organization allows students from across the globe to study in public high schools in the United States for a five-month semester or ten-month academic year. Single-semester students arrive in January and August/September, while academic-year students arrive in August/September and stay through June. According to Julie Wallace, the new Greenheart coordinator for the Cazenovia area, the beginning of the new year is a great time for community members to start thinking about hosting students in the fall. “Early planning [for fall 2025] occurs now through March 31, 2025,” Wallace said. “Early planning is great for families to feel well prepared for hosting, particularly first-time host families. However, placements can be arranged later, even through the summer. Students typically arrive about a week before school starts and leave a week or two after school ends. The placement deadline for academic year students is Aug. 31, 2025. The semester student deadlines are Jan. 25, 2025, and Aug. 31, 2025. Wallace, a former host, said she encourages Cazenovians to welcome exchange students into their homes for many reasons. She noted that the experience can be particularly valuable for families with children. “Kids truly enjoy having an exchange sister or brother,” she said. “Often, life-long friendships are fostered by hosting. If they do not have children or their children have moved out, and they would welcome the opportunity to share their home and life, that would be great too. If [they] like to travel, have culinary interests, garden, play sports, dance, sing or play music, love pets, volunteer in the community, are active in church, [enjoy] gaming, [are interested in] tech/web design, play chess, or [have] any other pursuits, there is a student out there that shares [their] interests and is looking for these opportunities. In a nutshell, almost any family would be a good candidate when matched appropriately. There are some requirements for safety, of course — no one with a criminal record, and they must be financially secure and able to provide housing and meals, but the majority of families would easily qualify and benefit from the experience.” Part of the local coordinator’s role is to help select students for potential host families Wallace explained that once a host family has an account, they have limited access to student profiles with no pictures or personal identifying information. Initially, they have access to five student profiles selected by the local coordinator. Once they have passed mandated safety benchmarks, such as personal references, a background check, and an in-home interview with the local coordinator, the host family is granted access to full student bios, including pictures and videos. “The [hosts] can select a student that is the best match for their family,” said Wallace. “The more the coordinator knows about the family’s interests, the better the match will be.” Cazenovia High School (CHS), which typically accepts up to four students, has welcomed visitors from Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, Japan, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Italy, South Korea, Poland, Columbia, Pakistan, France, and Uzbekistan. This academic year, the school is hosting Tulene from Saudi Arabia. The previous year, CHS welcomed Goddy from Ghana. During the 2022-23 school year, Wallace hosted Reisa from Japan, one of four Cazenovia area placements. The other students were Julene from Spain, Medhat from the Gaza Strip, and Andy from Bulgaria. Wallace recalled that her family quickly decided to host Reisa after the student’s previous placement fell through. “It was not something we had thought much about doing prior to that,” she said. “However, it ended up being a rewarding [experience]; Reisa became part of our family.” Reisa, who Wallace described as outgoing, intelligent, and fun, formed close friendships with several community members and her fellow exchange student Julene. Active in and outside school, she played soccer and lacrosse, was in the musical, participated in track, and volunteered with the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation. “Her teachers and coaches gave her glowing reviews on how dedicated she was to her work and [how] uplifting [she was] to others around her,” Wallace said. When Greenheart’s previous local coordinator, Catherine Jeannin, decided to retire, she approached Wallace about taking over her role. “After careful thought and discussion with my family, I decided I could not pass this opportunity to bring the outside world and other cultures to our school and community,” Wallace said. “Also, I feel it is important to share our American culture, particularly the beautiful and welcoming town of Cazenovia. We have so much to offer.” Hosting requirements and responsibilities Greenheart provides the following list of eligible hosts: families with young children; families with no children; single parents; retired couples; single people, with approval from Greenheart and the student’s natural parents; same-sex couples, with prior approval from Greenheart Exchange and the student’s natural parents; and anyone over the age of 26. If the hosts are married, one individual must be at least 26 years old and the other must be at least 21. Hosts are responsible for providing open communication; a bed, which can be in a shared room with a host sibling of similar age and same gender; a quiet place to study; three daily meals; local transportation; and a welcoming home that includes the student as a member of the family. Students have their own accident and health insurance and bring their own spending money. They are encouraged to participate in school-sponsored activities, community service, and environmental programs. Greenheart provides regular communication and support to host families and students. To learn more about hosting and how to apply, visit greenheartexchange.org/host/host-an-exchange-student/. Questions can be directed to Wallace at [email protected]. Greenheart, formerly the Center for Cultural Interchange, started in 1985 by sending high school students to the United States from Spain. Today, the organization has worked with more than 100 countries worldwide to facilitate 175,000-plus cultural exchange opportunities. For more information, visit greenheartexchange.org.