Pampa High School looking for host families for future foreign exchange students

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - The Pampa High School is currently looking for families to host foreign exchange students 2023 to 2024 academic school year.

School officials say that since COVID-19, they have seen a rise in the number of foreign exchange students they have enrolled in the school.

Before 2020 and the pandemic, the school accepted less two to three students a year. Last fall they had to turn down three exchange students because they didn’t have enough host families.

The school has partnered with Program of Academic Exchange, otherwise known as PAX, to pair students up with families from Pampa who have volunteered to host.

“We’re seeing a lot of really good interest and a lot of the people that have chosen to do it initially are coming back year and year after because they’ve enjoyed the process so much,” says Pampa High School Principal, Clay Jones.

Jones says Pampa schools have taken in foreign exchange students from as far away as China, Turkey and France.

Volunteers go through a process to ensure they have the resources to care for these students.

Jones says foreign exchange students provide an opportunity for kids at Pampa to learn about different cultures.

“You know I’ve talked to a lot of our families that have done that and they enjoyed the same thing you know, the new cultures that are brought in and we get to share some things with them to, and its been a really good opportunity for really everybody involved,” says Jones.

For more information on PAX or how to host a foreign exchange student, click here.

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