Dear students,
We all hope that you're doing everything you can to stay safe during these times. Some students have made the decision to return home early, and those of you who have decided to remain are no doubt facing uncertainty about what the rest of your program will be like. Living with that level of uncertainty causes a lot of stress for both you and your host family. There are several things you can do right now that might help to ease some tension in your host home.
Be kind, considerate and helpful to your host family. Everyone is feeling a certain level of and anxiety. The world is changing fast, and we all need to work together to get each other through this. Offer to help around the house. Suggest a shared game or puzzle, and as always, clean up after yourself. Now is the time to rely on and support each other.
Follow the rules! Please do not needlessly go out in public right now. Do not meet friends from school, and work with your family to stay isolated and safe.
Be conscious of what you're consuming. Access to certain food and household items is ever-changing and may be limited for a little while. Go along with your host family’s menu, and do not make any non-essential food requests.
The SHARE! program is not requiring students to return home early. However, if your host family decides that they can no longer host you, we will ask that you return to your home country immediately. The difficulty in finding and ensuring the suitability of new host families during this time makes it impossible to assure the safety of our coordinators, host families and students.
Please do keep all of this in mind as we move forward through this uncertain time. We are looking forward to the next couple of weeks, and feel optimistic that we will all work together to slow the spread.
Keep taking good care of yourself and others, and stay safe!
Laura Smrcka
Director of Academic Programs