Turkish student shares cuisine, culture in talks

by DONNA M. SHURR

Teacher/Interact Club advisor

On Jan. 25, Cansu Balkis, Oberlin High School's international exchange student from Turkey shared the history, culture, cuisine and educational system of her country during presentations to the family and consumer science classes.

She also demonstrated and cooked a traditional Turkish recipe for the students. With her, John Church, local coordinator for the Council for International Educational Exchange (CIEE) presented two exciting opportunities for Oberlin High School students.

In the spring, Oberlin schools will host four Turkish students for a four-week program. Three families have responded as a result of the presentations. We are still looking for one more family who would like to host an international student for three weeks. The second program is hosting an exchange student for the 2010-2011 school year.

On Jan. 29 Balkis and Church were joined by Oberlin High School junior Zofia Stanley to present the program to the Oberlin Rotary Club at their weekly meeting. Stanley, with her parents, is hosting Balkis for the 2009-2010 school year.

Oberlin High School is one of four high schools in the area which will be hosting several high school students from Bahcesehir College in Istanbul, Turkey, for three weeks this spring. It is an exciting opportunity for high school students to learn about the Turkish culture and for the Turkish students to learn about us.

We are looking for Oberlin families who are interested in hosting a Turkish student during their visit. Host families can be large or small, with children or without. The only requirements are that a host family be welcoming, curious about other cultures and interested in helping a Turkish student learn about our culture.

The Turkish students are boys and girls, 14 to 16 years old, academically strong, proficient in English and well-screened by their school in Turkey. The students will be fully insured, and one of their teachers will travel with them.

All that is expected of a host family is to provide the Turkish student with a separate bed, a quiet place to study, daily meals, some local transportation and a willingness to show off the Cleveland area. The Turkish students are expected to be a responsible member of the family (including doing chores), show consistent effort in school and share their culture with their host family.

If you are interested in being a host family or have questions about the program, contact John Church at jacbvo@gmail.com or 440-808-8507. John is the coordinator of the program and lives in Bay Village with his wife. He is a retired educator and has experience as a teacher and administrator, including 12 years as a superintendent. Both of his children have had overseas educational experiences, and his daughter lives in France with her French husband and their children.

Consider the possibility of hosting. It would have a positive impact on your family and the student you host.