Comox Valley Schools鈥� International Student Program is back in full swing and is looking for host families in the Comox Valley for the 2023-2024 school year.

This year, the Comox Valley International Student Program welcomed over 250 students to our schools from 24 different

countries around the world.

These students hail from a diverse range of countries, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge, experiences, and perspectives that enrich the educational institutions they attend and the broader community they call home. They also become inspirational for our own students to study abroad.

This year, more than 30 local students studied in Japan, Spain, Germany and France.

One of the key benefits of having international students in the Comox Valley is the cultural exchanges taking place in and outside of the classroom.

By studying alongside students from different countries, local students gain global perspectives and develop intercultural skills that prepare them for an increasingly interconnected world.

鈥淥ur students tell us every year that the most positive aspect of their study abroad experience here in the Comox Valley is the friendships they make and the bonds they forge with their local host family,鈥� said Josie Jiang, senior manager for the International Student Program. 鈥淚t is all about relationships. I was an international student myself, and I鈥檓 still connected with the very first people I befriended while in Canada.鈥�

More than just bringing their cultural wealth to the Valley, many note that these foreign students are a catalyst for the domestic economy.

鈥淚n addition to adding diversity to our local schools, international students are significant contributors to the local economy,鈥� says Greg Kochanuk, district principal of the Comox Valley International Student Program. 鈥淪ome businesses benefiting [from this influx of students] include clothing stores, restaurants, local attractions 鈥� and dozens of students get season鈥檚 passes on Mt. Washington.鈥�

A generous monthly honorarium is provided for each family hosting foreign student(s) during their stay.

If you are interested in hosting a student for next year, please contact Youn Hee Edmonds at younhee.edmonds@sd71.bc.ca.