By Mike Greife,
July 25, 2017
WARRENSBURG, MO – The Friendship Families program in the Office of Mentoring, Advocacy
and Peer Support at the University of Central Missouri is seeking local families and
individuals to participate in the program that provides local connections for international
students at UCM.
Members of the family of Larry and Marty Werneke joined UCM international students
representing Japan, Saudi Arabia and India during the spring 2017 semester as a Friendship
Family.
The MAPS Friendship Families program, which expands the program by the same name in
the UCM Center for Global Education, offers international students a relationship
with a local family that eases the challenges of living so far from home. Students
participating in the program learn about American and Midwestern culture, connect
socially with the community in which they are living, and become part of a family
relationship that often extends beyond their years of study at UCM.
“We’re looking for 20 families to match with students this fall,” said Suzy Latare,
program coordinator. “We’ve found that the opportunity to spend time in with a family
often helps students with things like language proficiency and understanding the differences
between their home cultures and American culture. Friendship families also benefit
from the relationships, learning about different cultures and sharing that knowledge
with several generations of their families.”
After submitting an application, community members interested in becoming part of
the Friendship Families program are matched with a student and will attend a Meet
and Greet event in August, where families and students will meet, hear an overview
of the program and complete necessary paperwork. Families and students are encouraged
to meet at least once per month, but may meet more often, depending on schedules and
opportunity. Families are encouraged to share holidays and family events, and student
are encouraged the share their cultures and join their families for special occasions.
The deadline to apply to participate in the program in Aug. 11. Families may obtain
more information and apply online at ucmo.edu/maps/FriendshipFamilies.cfm, or by contacting
Latare at 660-543-8947 or latare@ucmo.edu.
