HOST FAMILY APPLICATION
EXPANDING LIVES' MISSION
Expanding Lives supports the education of young women from West Africa who are the first in their family to attend secondary school. Strong, intelligent girls who are proving themselves against daunting odds are offered short-term, highly structured conferences in the United States. The conferences focus on bringing broader solutions to local problems.
VISION
The academic opportunities and travel experiences provided by Expanding Lives build on participants' existing interests and knowledge to better ensure success in school and in the community.
We help young women to develop the voice, the self-confidence, and the problem solving skills necessary for empowerment. Expanding Lives encourages participants to become active role models, leaders, and agents of change in their home communities.
ROLE OF THE HOST FAMILY
The host family plays an important role in developing the capacity of our young women. Traveling abroad for the first time is educational and exciting, but it can also be stressful. Since Expanding Lives participants are from developing countries, much of what they experience here is new to them. Host families help the participants to feel safe and comfortable in the US; they serve as role models for child rearing. Our host families are often pivotal in helping the girls to gain confidence in their communication skills and in trying new things. In general, we place the young women in pairs with one host family for about two and a half weeks.
Your application does not confirm placement of a young woman in your home, nor does it commit you to becoming a host family.
Questions? Check out our FAQ Page or Contact Us.