Experience the cultures of the world

Hermann and Renate Großkurth from Bremen with their "children" Maria Earle, Adina Mois, and Anup Shresta.

… and be part of the Jacobs University host family program!

Are you interested in other cultures? Would you like to show young people from around the world your hometown Bremen? Cultural exchange, exciting contacts and long lasting friendships – Jacobs University's host family program is all that. The university is looking for open-minded host parents for international students, starting now.

At the end of August the new Jacobs freshmen will arrive on campus. For many of them this will be their first time away from home, family, and friends. The Jacobs University host family program wants to help all the arriving students to ease into their new neighborhood.

Future host parents can get in contact with the students over the summer already: “We are looking forward to early birds because we try to match students and host parents according to language skills or hobbies,” says Jutta Eckhoff from the Jacobs University Student Service Center.

The host family program is in place since the university’s founding in 2001. For ten years Jutta Eckhoff and her colleague Connie Bröker have been working as volunteers in this program. Altogether they helped setting up 1500 host family relationships, almost 200 only last year.

Ideally a host family relationship lasts for the student’s duration of study – three years in case of a bachelor student. “Beyond that time period, many longterm friendships have developed,” says Jutta Eckhoff. “One of our hosts even visited his host son’s wedding in India,” she continues. “The program is a cultural enrichment for both sides,” agrees Connie Bröker. “Our host families get lots of information on campus life and university events, the students on the other hand get a feeling of being at home.”

Future host parents should be open-minded and show interest in the student’s life, say the program coordinators. Besides that the host parents should be able to lead simple conversations in English. “Everybody who is interested in the host family program is welcome, not matter if married couples, singles, families, elderly or young people,” says Connie Bröker.

For newly participating host parents Connie Bröker and Jutta Eckhoff offer several information evenings before the students arrive.

Please contact:
Jacobs University | Student Service Center
Connie Bröker & Jutta Eckhoff
Tues 14-16 p.m. | Thu 10-13 a.m.
Tel.: 0421-200 4208/-09 | E-Mail: hostfamilies@jacobs-university.de

www.jacobs-university.de/host-family-program

Author: Jacobs University