International student program looking for host families

Host family at a hockey game with student Noemi. (Source: MLI Homestay)

An international student program is looking for host families for the next group of visitors to Windsor-Essex.

MLI Homestay welcomes international high school students from Europe, Asia and South America in many communities across Canada, including 41 new students in Windsor and Greater Essex attending schools with both the Greater Essex County District School Board and Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board. They joined the 50 students that arrived in September 2023 studying for 3-12 months.

The organization says a large part of the experience international students wish for while in Canada includes participating in “Canadian Life” with their host family. This includes enjoying various foods they have heard or read about, participating in the weekly family routine, and extracurricular activities that they may not have at home such as skating, ice fishing, skiing, hiking through a forest, or even going to a local supermarket.

Janis is one of three local coordinators in Windsor, helping students and hosts in the area.

“When hosting, you learn something new each day from international students, about their culture, their language or a “fun fact” that they learned in school. It is very rewarding to hear student’s spoken English improve each day, and knowing that by hosting, you had a significant role in their English language learning,” says Janis.

The international student program continues to grow in Windsor-Essex, with new international students arriving in September 2024, which will need to be matched with hosts in Spring 2024.

The organization is looking for fun and welcoming hosts for students. Hosts are required to include students in their home life, provide a private bedroom with a bed, desk and window, access to a bathroom and three meals a day.

Hosts are compensated per month to take care of students’ basic needs. Visit www.mlihomestay.com for more information.

Local coordinator Janis, with her family and student Katsumi, and at a hockey game with student Noemi