School District 57 will relaunch its international student program to some of its high schools, it was announced at the board of education’s final meeting of the 2024-25 school year on Tuesday, June 10.
The program allowed students from other countries to live and study at schools in the district.
A report written by district staff said an ISP previously existed but ceased to operate “for a variety of reasons.”
“We currently have interest from international students in attending SD57 schools and will begin the process of working with an ISP principal in a neighbouring school district for student placement,” the report said.
The report also said that the program could be a potential revenue generator for the district, but staff recommended that any dollars collected not be used to fund core programming but instead enhancements and extras.
“Also, it must be noted that no SD57 dollars will be expended into the program,” the report said. “Revenues generated from the program (tuition and program fees) will be utilized to support homestay costs, recruitment costs, and the overall management of the program.”
More information on how local families can get involved and apply for opportunities to host foreign students will be sent out later this month, the report said.
Supt. Jameel Aziz said at the June 10 meeting that when he assumed his job, he wondered why the district did not have an ISP.
He said Coast Mountain School District (SD82) has such strong uptake for its ISP that it fills all its available slots and it’s his understanding that there is a demand for such a program in School District 57.
Before establishing the program, Aziz said the district needs to make sure that quality homes are available for international students to stay at.
On top of the planned survey, the superintendent said administration had started to reach out to district staff about support for the program.
Speaking to The Citizen after the end of the meeting, Aziz said it was his understanding that the district’s previous iteration of the ISP ended just before or in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the previous communities he worked in, Aziz said homestays — homes that welcome in international students — are key to those programs’ success.
“I think there is an opportunity all across this beautiful province for students to want to come and have a great educational experience and the other piece, of course, is it brings their families who typically come and spend time to see where their students are and enhances tourism,” Aziz said.
“I think Prince George deserves that opportunity. We also heard from that international student principal that there are students who are looking for opportunities in smaller communities as well. Some students want to be the only international student in a particular high school and so we hope as we expand that Valemount, McBride and Mackenzie will also have opportunities to have international students.”
If School District 57 introduces an ISP, Aziz said it could help create connections and facilitate local students’ exchanges to other countries.
Currently, he said the district has a great program where students from College Heights Secondary School visit Japan each spring break and students from Japan visit Prince George after the break.
