A Message for Parents
iE-USA
329 Chimes View Dr.
Ogden, Utah 84405
PH: 801-479-5765
Fax: 801-479-4834
Dear Parents,
You are about to experience a new and very significant stage in the life of your daughter or son -- that of being the parents of a "foreign exchange student." The experience of "global" learning requires personal development for both the students and you, the natural parents. Your child will learn a lot, and you will as well. One of the first things that you will need to learn is to "let go." Are you prepared to do this?
Quite often, the year abroad will not go exactly as anticipated, which is an important lesson for you as well as your child to learn. The key to a successful experience for both you, as parents, and more importantly for your child, is flexibility. Our program is founded on experiencing changes, the ability to expand one's way of thinking through experiencing the cultural differences and sharing the cultural enrichments with one another, students' lives with their "new family," and sharing those experiences with you and their friends back home. You, as parents need to be prepared to provide support to the new host parents of your son or daughter. Through this interaction during the year abroad, all parties will join together in the "Global Classroom" and share in its rewards.
Are you ready and willing to let your son or daughter grow and develop on his or her own in a new environment and with a new family? It is important for you to trust and have confidence in your own maturing teenager, in order for her to be successful in her new home, new country and in the new World in which she will live.
The host family is the emotional foundation of a semester or year in a foreign country. An essential key to a successful year abroad is your willingness to put your trust and support in the carefully selected host family. It is iE's goal to orient our host families to make them aware that our students should become true members of the family, with all its privileges, duties, and responsibilities, and not "foreign guests."
We will also do our best to earn your trust and confidence. iE will be there when you, your son or daughter, the school, or the host family needs us. This can be verified by the many hundreds of great young people and their parents who have already successfully completed their "international experience" over the past several years.
the iE Global Team consists of many dedicated people who want to make a difference in today's world. Many of them have lived abroad themselves, and these experiences help them daily to assist and prepare our young students for a successful experience abroad.
Several years ago I was fortunate to have my own "international experience." It was one of the most positive and unforgettable experiences of my life. I was a Fulbright "Austauschlehrer" (exchange teacher) in a small town in southern Germany located near the Swiss/French border. That wonderful year truly changed not only my life, but the lives of my entire family. It provided us with new life long friendships and heightened our outlook on life through global thinking and understanding in today's world. This awareness is what you and your son or daughter will share, enabling a better understanding of the world around us.
iE is a non-profit organization, listed with CSIET and authorized by the Department of State, and we accept a limited number of participants each year. We try our best to get to know each participant and his or her family personally. This is the way it has been in the past, and we will continue to ensure this quality in the future. Please call or email us. We are looking forward to helping you in this most important decision in your child's future.
Sincerely yours,
Paul Hallgrimson
European Director