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Friendship Program
The Virginia Tech International Friendship Program
The International Friendship Program pairs community residents of all ages (couples, families, and individuals), with international students attending the university. The students do not live with their hosts. The main goal of the International Friendship program is to allow Virginia Tech international students to develop off-campus friendships and to see how Americans really live--within their homes and families, within their work, within their community. Without this program, many students would continue to see Americans only through TV and movies. The friendships formed by sharing time together about once a month enrich the residents' lives and expand the students' educational experience. Students discover a more personal approach to American culture, and community members gain intercultural understanding.
Hosts and students are matched on the basis of common interests and share all kinds of activities: cooking, eating, shopping, family gatherings, birthday celebrations, watching videos, attending school and community activities/events, civic meetings, church suppers, etc. – activities that show daily life, no matter how mundane. The program helps international students feel more "at home" while studying here and also provides them with a more balanced view of America than they find in movies, fast food restaurants, and television. Without this program of "sharing America," many of these students would spend their entire academic career never having visited or experienced an American home and thus return to their country with a good education but very little awareness of how the average American lives.
The International Friendship Program pairs community residents of all ages (couples, families, and individuals), with international students attending the university. The students do not live with their hosts. The main goal of the International Friendship program is to allow Virginia Tech international students to develop off-campus friendships and to see how Americans really live--within their homes and families, within their work, within their community. Without this program, many students would continue to see Americans only through TV and movies. The friendships formed by sharing time together about once a month enrich the residents' lives and expand the students' educational experience. Students discover a more personal approach to American culture, and community members gain intercultural understanding.
Hosts and students are matched on the basis of common interests and share all kinds of activities: cooking, eating, shopping, family gatherings, birthday celebrations, watching videos, attending school and community activities/events, civic meetings, church suppers, etc. – activities that show daily life, no matter how mundane. The program helps international students feel more "at home" while studying here and also provides them with a more balanced view of America than they find in movies, fast food restaurants, and television. Without this program of "sharing America," many of these students would spend their entire academic career never having visited or experienced an American home and thus return to their country with a good education but very little awareness of how the average American lives.
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DirectorKim |
Latest page update: made by DirectorKim
, Feb 27 2008, 9:15 PM EST
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IFP student scholar form 1.07.doc (Word Document - 42k)
posted by rchristensen Feb 28 2008, 1:12 PM EST
Use this form to apply for the International Friendship Program. Once you've completed it, you can email it to Rachel Christensen at rachrist@vt.edu.
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