When Jennifer Peart moved to Sawyer from Florida about two months ago, she brought with her the possibility of having international exchange students in North Dakota schools. Exchange programs give international students the opportunity to learn what American culture is like, and they can show Americans their traditions in return.

Peart had wanted to be a social worker, but when that didn’t work out for her, she instead chose to help people in a different way: broadening students’ horizons by working with International Cultural Exchange Services (ICES) to place international exchange students with host families in the U.S.

She came across the position on an online job site.

“I was curious to know what’s out there, and I saw this [position], and I thought that was perfect,” Peart said. “Like it’s too good to be true.”

Her husband is active duty U.S. Air Force. Stationed at Minot Air Force Base, they chose to live in the small, quiet town of Sawyer.

“I love it. Everybody’s so nice, and somebody said to me the other day that Sawyer is the place of cold hands and warm hearts,” Peart said. “I like the colder weather, anyway.”

Part of her job will be doing her best to place international students aged 15 to 18 years of age in the schools of their choosing. However, they may not always get their choice school, as it is the host families who are able to choose the student they want to host.

Giving families the final say allows the families to find their perfect fits – someone who would most easily fit their family demographic and routine, such as putting a student active in sports with a sports-oriented family. Perhaps they want to find a student who is closer in age to their own children, or they may want to find a student who has a similar heritage.

The students live as members of their host families and are given their own spaces to study and sleep. They would help with chores, go on family outings and follow house rules.

Before the students are placed, background and house checks are done on potential host families to ensure the safety of the students while they are in the home.

While in the host family’s home, a student may also look for a temporary job, such as yard work, fixing cars or helping the neighborhood. However, the job cannot be a permanent job, due to government restrictions on working while they are here.

While they are in the U.S., the students are encouraged to stay in touch with their families in their home countries, as Peart does not want them to be cut off from their support system.

“I couldn’t imagine sending my kid to a foreign country and my son not being able to contact us, so that communication line needs to be open,” Peart said.

There are more than 500 international exchange students who would like to be immersed in American culture, and they hail from 60 different countries. The agency will attempt to put them in their desired states. The two more popular ones are Florida and California.

Peart would love to have students placed with her in her new home, but that is not a possibility at the moment. She would have to go through another coordinator to become a host, and she currently is the only coordinator in this area.

In addition, she is the sole advocate and confidant for the students she places with North Dakota families, so she needs to be more readily available to the family or the student, should anyone need assistance.

The support does not stop there. On occasion, she plans to take the students and families out for group events, such as bowling or mini-golfing.

One of the things Peart said she initially struggled with was putting herself out there.

“I just moved to the area, so it’s a lot of meeting people and a lot of establishing connections with everybody that I could possibly find,” Peart said.

Holding 10 years of experience in working with children under her belt, she is excited to see where this new journey takes her.

“I just got started, and I’m very anxious to learn more about the trade,” Peart said.