Are you interested in being a host family for a student from Brazil?
MLI Homestay is once again reaching out to the Windsor-Essex community as they look for host families to house and take care of international high school students from Brazil next year.
Two groups of scholarship students, ages 15 to 17, will travel to Windsor to attend secondary schools with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board. The first group is a 16-week placement from February to May 2027, and the second group is a 12-week placement from April to June 2027.
The students travelling to the region will look to improve their English language skills and experience Canadian culture firsthand.
Host families will provide a private bedroom, meals, and a supportive home environment while the students attend school locally.
Jodi Andersen, Community Engagement and Social Media Specialist with MLI Homestay, says the family is responsible for a private room and to provide meals for the student.
“Students usually take their own breakfast and then eat lunch at school but then having dinner with them as a family and then spending weekend time with them. Maybe showing them around the community, even in taking them to the grocery store is an exciting time or to their friend’s son’s hockey game that doesn’t cost a lot of money but just it’s a new experience for someone from a different country.”
She says this experience creates lifelong friendships for the students and the host family.
“If you’re a family or if you’re a single person, you get to learn all about the culture of Brazil, what kind of food they like to eat, what the language is like, what their normal traditions are at home that relate to what it’s like here. And it often does lead into a long-term friendship. We have hosts that have gone over to Brazil even for weddings when their student is getting married and all different kinds of connections that get made.”
Andersen says Windsor-Essex is a very attractive region for international students.
“The climate is nice. It’s a city feel, but also it’s close to the country and there’s so many schools that they can visit. The community has always really welcomed the students, to be honest, from all over the world, from Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Brazil, everywhere. It’s been very welcoming for them.”
Dozens of students are expected to visit the region during the two groups.
Families of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply on the MLI Homestay website. Ongoing support is provided by MLI Homestay throughout the placement.