RCC sent out a notice today in its effort to find families to host international students who arrive next month. There’s a monthly stipend.

I’ll let RCC explain:

SUNY Rockland Community College is seeking families willing to share their homes and provide English speaking opportunities to international scholars from the Cooperative Association of States for Scholarships (CASS) program. A monthly stipend will be paid.

Twenty women from socio-economically disadvantaged communities in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean will spend two years at RCC preparing for business careers. Host families are needed for one year. Host families are given a stipend in exchange for providing the student with housing and meals, and are expected to integrate the student into the life of the family. During the second year, the students transition to apartment living.

By providing an atmosphere of support and encouragement, the host family facilitates the student’s transition and ultimate success as a CASS scholar. While in the United States, CASS scholars will give back to their host communities by performing a minimum of 160 hours of approved volunteer service. A goal of the CASS Program is to build lasting links of friendship and understanding between the United States and the nations served.

CASS collaborates with a network of 15 academic institutions in nine states that provide students with the critical technical, professional, and leadership training to address development challenges in their home countries. Rockland Community College and Broome Community College in Binghamton are the only two institutions in New York State involved with the CASS program.

The Cooperative Association of States for Scholarship (CASS) is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Georgetown University’s Center for Intercultural Education and Development (CIED).