Ben Franklin host families needed

This month, 68 teenagers from 43 different countries will study on the Reynolda Campus as part of the seventh annual Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Summer Institute at Wake Forest.

Designed to teach teenagers about different countries and about the shared principles and challenges they face, the Ben Franklin program features educational trips to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., as well as classes, workshops and civic engagement activities. Visiting students will have the opportunity to stay in homes with local families in the Winston-Salem area.

Currently, program directors urgently need 25 more host families to host the young scholars, ages 16-18, from Friday, July 13-Sunday, July 22.

Scott Freese, homestay coordinator and campus minister to international students at Wake Forest and other Triad-area colleges and universities, believes faculty and staff could offer exceptional cultural and intellectual experiences to students.

“We seek an environment that encourages individual expression, communications, and information sharing in an effort to advance positive relationships among the various ethnic, religious, and national groups,” said Freese. “Who better to provide such an environment than the faculty and staff who are already embody these values at Wake Forest?”

Considerations for matching potential host families with students might include allergies, fears of dogs or cats, food preferences, ages and genders of the host families’ children, if applicable.

Faculty or staff who are interested in becoming a host family are encouraged to apply online immediately or contact Scott Freese (freeses@wfu.edu or 336.972.6237) for more information.