Five more host families are needed to house the group of exchange students from the Sven Eriksonsgymnasiet in Borås, Sweden who will be spending five weeks in Santa Rosa starting March 24. This is the 10th year in a row that SRJC has participated in this exchange program.

A family or person wishing to host must provide a separate room and three meals a day for the student, and have a mode of transportation to-and-from the JC available, such as a nearby bus route. “We have everything from single people who host a student to families with six children to same sex couples,” said Lisa Beach, coordinator of the Swedish Project.

“What’s really fun is the majority of these kids have never been to the United States before, so this is their first chance to see America sort of from the inside,” Beach said. “They have a ton of exposure to America from television and movies.”

Beach is hosting a student from the program for the third time this year, and this is her second year as project coordinator. She enjoyed introducing her previous students to America as it really is, instead of the movie version.

“They learn something about Americans and family life and we love that,” Beach said. “We love taking them around. We take them to the beach; we take them or let them go skiing with a group. We take them to San Francisco. They’re so excited to see San Francisco.”

The 18-to-19 year old students are part of the Entrepreneurship program at the Sven Eriksonsgymnasiet, essentially a three-year business school. While at SRJC, they will take classes together in things like political science and local economy. Last year the students who were here took a history course, which this year’s students might do as well.

Earlier this year Beach visited the students at their school in Sweden. “I went in September, to meet all the students, and I can’t wait to see them again.” Anyone who is interested in being a host family this year should contact Beach at [email protected].