The Virginia Tech International Friendship Program
The International Friendship Program pairs community residents of all ages   (couples, families, and individuals), with international students attending the university.  The students do not live with their hosts.  The main goal of the International Friendship program is to allow Virginia Tech international students to develop off-campus friendships and to see how Americans really live--within their homes and families, within their work, within their community.  Without this program, many students would continue to see Americans only through TV and movies. The friendships formed by sharing time together about once a month enrich the residents' lives and expand the students' educational experience.  Students discover a more personal approach to American culture, and community members gain intercultural understanding.

Hosts and students are matched on the basis of common interests and share all kinds of activities:  cooking, eating, shopping, family gatherings, birthday celebrations, watching videos, attending school and community activities/events, civic  meetings, church suppers, etc. – activities that show daily life, no matter how mundane. The program helps international students feel more "at home" while studying here and also provides them with a more balanced view of America than they find in movies, fast food restaurants, and television.  Without this program of "sharing America," many of these students would spend their entire academic career never having visited or experienced an American home and thus return to their country with a good education but very little awareness of how the average American lives. 

Hosts have the option of reading student profiles and requesting specific students, or the community liaison will match hosts and students.

This program offers a wonderful way to make a difference in the lives of the international students who seek a community connection. Most hosts find that they themselves are the ones who are most enriched by the friendships, some of which last long after the students have left Blacksburg.
Please refer to the Host and Student/Scholar guides below for more information. You may also contact the Cranwell Center at 540-231-6527.

 

Students/Scholars                                               Community Hosts
Student/Scholar Frequently Asked Questions             Community Hosts Frequently Asked Questions
How to join the program (student application) g NNg g How to join the program (host application)
Student/Scholar Participant Guide                             Host Guide