HBC has enjoyed a program called Friendship Family Program for the last ten years. This program invites any interested international student to have host parents from HBC. Host parents do not house the students, but treat them as they would their own college student away from home. They are available if they have questions, need a ride to do banking or shopping or just want to visit.
     It is an opportunity to have the students in the host family homes on holidays. Having them in the homes during a holiday means a lot to a student who is unable to go home. Many of the students enjoy spending several days with their host families over the Christmas break.
     A number of international student and host family parties are held throughout the year. Some of the parties HBC has had in the past were: a picnic in the Fall as a kick off, water balloon volleyball and inside volleyball, table game night, pictionary night, bowling, a hike to a nearby historic Native American sight, a scavenger hunt and a hayride. Many of the families especially enjoyed the events as they got to know their student better as well as the other international students. With host families and students there are usually fifty to seventy attending the parties. The parties are always open to other international students even though they many have chosen not to have a host family.
     Times of visiting in the host homes between the host families and students are valuable and enjoyable with families as well as students learning about each other’s countries. The students often make food from their countries for the host families, which is a wonderful cultural exchange and a time for learning about one another.
Many of the host families have expressed that they have thoroughly enjoyed the experience of having an international student as a friendship partner and look forward to taking part in the program again next year. The host families are excited to meet new students who will come to DSU and will miss the students who will be graduating, going home or changing universities.
     There are currently 400 International students on the campus of DSU.


 

     HBC has enjoyed a program called Friendship Family Program for the last ten years. This program invites any interested international student to have host parents from HBC. Host parents do not house the students, but treat them as they would their own college student away from home. They are available if they have questions, need a ride to do banking or shopping or just want to visit.
     It is an opportunity to have the students in the host family homes on holidays. Having them in the homes during a holiday means a lot to a student who is unable to go home. Many of the students enjoy spending several days with their host families over the Christmas break.
     A number of international student and host family parties are held throughout the year. Some of the parties HBC has had in the past were: a picnic in the Fall as a kick off, water balloon volleyball and inside volleyball, table game night, pictionary night, bowling, a hike to a nearby historic Native American sight, a scavenger hunt and a hayride. Many of the families especially enjoyed the events as they got to know their student better as well as the other international students. With host families and students there are usually fifty to seventy attending the parties. The parties are always open to other international students even though they many have chosen not to have a host family.
     Times of visiting in the host homes between the host families and students are valuable and enjoyable with families as well as students learning about each other’s countries. The students often make food from their countries for the host families, which is a wonderful cultural exchange and a time for learning about one another.
Many of the host families have expressed that they have thoroughly enjoyed the experience of having an international student as a friendship partner and look forward to taking part in the program again next year. The host families are excited to meet new students who will come to DSU and will miss the students who will be graduating, going home or changing universities.
     There are currently 400 International students on the campus of DSU.