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Health & Fitness

Oakland Schools NextGen Educational Program Welcomes Chinese Students to Novi High School

Novi High School welcomes Chinese Exchange Students who live with host families. The size of the program is expected to increase substantially.

“The U.S. is an awesome, awesome country!” said Nicholas Fun, who came from China to Novi High School last September to, in his words, “seek a better life.”    When asked what he liked about his experience this year, Fun enthusiastically replied “Everything!”

Fun is an exchange student through Oakland School’s Next Gen Educational Program for Chinese students who enroll in the 12th grade and plan to attend a U.S. college.  The program is managed by the Center for Management Training (CMT) in Ann Arbor.  Novi High School and seven other Oakland county high schools participate in the exchange program. 

Oakland schools are eager to encourage cross cultural understanding to prepare students for a globalized economy. Now in its third year, the program is highly successful.  Classmates are enriched by the exchange of cultures, host families and their students often form lifelong friendships, Chinese students contribute financially to the schools, as they pay tuition and the Chinese students achieve their goal of graduating from an American high school and earning acceptance to a U.S. college. 

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Lily Yen, cofounder of CMT, believes that hosting a Chinese student is a unique opportunity to welcome a new member into your family, learn about each other’s cultures and make a positive difference in a young person’s life.   Chinese who study in America retain their positive feelings for America throughout their lives, which can be very beneficial to the US when the students later become executives in international corporations.  Similarly, today’s American youth may later have a career with international companies, and it will benefit them greatly to have developed an understanding and friendship with people from other countries. 

Manon Bennett, her husband Rick, and their two elementary aged children are veteran host families, having hosted two exchange students in the past and currently hosting Kim Zhong.  Zhong is a Chinese exchange student enrolled in Novi High School, and is extremely grateful for their generosity. 

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“They have an open, friendly heart,” said Zhong. “They accept my values.  They really take care of me – they treat me like a family member.”

The Bennetts have enjoyed being a host family and feel that it is a truly rewarding experience which has broadened their appreciation for cultures throughout the world.  They continue to stay in close contact with their first two students, visiting them in their home countries and welcoming them back to Novi.

By hosting Zhong, the Bennetts benefit tremendously from the experience themselves while giving her the gift of an advanced education and a bright future. In China, a degree from an American college is highly regarded, not only because the education is of such high quality, but also due to the experience one gains from living in America and learning the English language.   

“People here are really friendly, and the teaching method is different,” said Zhong. “Here the teachers pay more attention to making the students interested in learning and shaping their personality; here teachers and students can be friends – we can talk about our lives and favorite things.”    

Bridge, the online magazine for the Center for Michigan, reports that the number of Michigan high school graduates has declined 7.8% between 2007 and 2012.  Despite accepting a larger percentage of  Michigan applications,  the University of Michigan and Michigan State University still have needed to make up the  loss of qualified Michigan applicants with out-of-state or out-of-country students.  Not only are the accepted Chinese applicants highly qualified, but they also pay out-of-state tuition.  This year Chinese undergraduate tuition alone amounted to $108 million at MSU.

The opportunity to host a student from China will be available to many more Novi residents for the next school year, as an increased number of Chinese students are expected. 

“The Chinese students fit wonderfully well into host families” explains Amy Kilgore, counselor at Novi High School. “In China, they go to school from 7 am to 9 pm, they have a disciplined work ethic, are very respectful, and have socially appropriate behavior.  They make excellent role models for younger ‘siblings’ in the family.  They are excited to be here because everything is so different.”

Kilgore also has high compliments for CMT.  She said that they are a very hands-on management program, regularly checking with the host family and the high school on the students’ progress, guiding the student through the college application process and offering frequent cultural activities for the host families and students.

Host families receive reimbursement to cover living, travel and cultural expenses for the student.   For more information on hosting a Chinese student, visit www.nextgenexchange.org, email info@nextgenexchange.org or call 248-730-0669

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