The International Education Administrator for the Avon Maitland District School Board says the number of international students attending their schools continues to grow every year.
Steve Howe says that wouldn't be possible without the support of host families in Huron and Perth. Howe adds the expansion of the program to include summer students this year has put more pressure on host families, but he says the community has responded and they've managed to find new host families.
Howe says they have an excellent core of families, but he also finds that they tend to volunteer for three or four years and have a great experience, but eventually want to take a year or two off, so the challenge is to replace those families as well as find new ones to accommodate the growing members.
Howe says the new summer program has added about 70 new students.