Your future, our focus
POWELL, Wyo. - Northwest College is seeking individuals and families to provide support and friendship to international students from around the world through NWC’s Friendship Family Program.
Lodging is not a component of the program. Instead, the goal is to give students opportunities to get off campus occasionally to build friendships with community members. These relationships can help students increase their understanding of the United States and in particular, Wyoming.
“There are no time or activity requirements for participating as a Friendship Family,” NWC’s Intercultural Program Manager Emelee Volden said. “We have people who host students for a monthly meal. We also have families/individuals who invite their students to join family vacations and holidays. The amount of involvement and commitment is not determined by NWC, but is determined between the family and the student.”
Volden calls the program “a wonderful opportunity for community members to learn about diverse cultures as well as to teach incoming international students about their culture and the local area. Students attending NWC are experiencing a unique part of U.S. American culture and having them spend time with community members can enhance their experience even more.”
She said the demand for friends is greater than ever with the rising number of international students attending Northwest. This fall, new students in need of friendship will come from Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. New students begin arriving Sunday, Aug. 18.
For more information email or call Emelee Volden at 307-754-6429.