Share your culture through the Community Friendship Program

Share your culture through the Community Friendship Program

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Sign up to meet your match by Friday, November 8!

Whether you're a student eager to immerse yourself in local culture or an individual/family ready to share your traditions, a new program from the Center for Global Education and Fellowships (CGEF) provides the opportunity to create lasting memories and friendships.

The Community Friendship Program is a cultural exchange that matches international students and hosts. Students get the chance to connect with local families, experience life in the community, and share their own culture. Hosts who open their homes and hearts to an international student provide crucial support during academic breaks and weekends and get to be part of the student's journey at Salve.

Hosts commit to hosting one or more international students for one or two excursions or home visits per semester. They may meet for coffee, take a walk, visit a local attraction or attend an event together; visit the host's home for a holiday dinner and/or other meal and find other ways to spend time sharing cultural traditions. CGEF staff and students work with participants to make sure the experience is supportive and enriching for all.

Mark Keitges, coordinator of the Academic Center of Excellence's (ACE) writing center, and Tomo Takayama, an exchange student from Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, are one of the first matches established within the new program.

"I applied for this program because for me, the main purpose of study abroad is getting to know another culture - in this case, American culture," said Takayama. "I wanted to learn about American culture and daily life… things that are not related to academics."

She also hopes to improve her language skills by interacting with Keitges and his English-speaking family.

Keitges has taught English communications and research writing to multilingual students for much of his career in higher education. "As someone who grew up between two cultures in a multicultural household, I can relate to students navigating transitions to college and a new culture," he said.

At Rutgers University in New Jersey, he helped create an intercultural friendship club with international graduate students that featured nature hikes, conversation practice and mindfulness meditation. "I am excited to continue supporting international newcomers at Salve, which has been such a welcoming place for me," Keitges said.

When asked how she felt having a host family support her transition to live in a new country, Takayama said, "For the moment, I am doing ok being so far from home, but during times where international students miss home, a host family can be a sort of safe place."

"My match, Mark, works at the Academic Center for Excellence. When we meet at ACE we are student and teacher. When we meet as a host family, we don't have to discuss school. I can ask for advice, we can get to know one another and talk about our life experiences."

Takayama added that she's most looking forward to spending holidays together with her host family. "That really is not something you can do when you are a tourist, so this makes me feel like I can experience American culture from within."

Interested students and hosts/host families are encouraged to learn more and apply here before Nov. 8. CGEF program managers will match up pairs based on shared interests, cultural practices and more, by mid-November.