The Early Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting to welcome Cultural Homestay International (CHI) to the Early Chamber membership.

CHI is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1980 by Tom and Lilka Areton to promote international understanding and goodwill through people-to-people exchanges. CHI believes that the best way to build bridges of friendship and trust among people is to experience directly each other’s customs, languages and values. CHI aspires to share the benefits of cultural interchange with the many nations of the earth in the deeply held conviction that such exchanges ultimately contribute to a more prosperous and peaceful world.

CHI is dedicated to carefully matching international exchange students with American host families and U.S. high schools. Every year high school-aged youth from over 30 countries around the world participate in CHI’s high school foreign exchange program – the Academic Year Program (AYP).  As a U.S. Department of State designated J-1 visa program sponsor, CHI adheres to the highest level of program compliance. Host families can feel confident that they are participating in a quality educational and cultural foreign exchange program.

Families interested in opening their home to the world by hosting an international exchange student, please visit on line www.chinet.org or call Jana Jackson, Developing Area Program Administrator (DAPA) 325-998-2698 for more information.

Pictured from left to right Chris Furry, Jennifer Furry, Lisa Callihan, Helen Tatum, Libby Hobbs, Edoardo Zanetti (Foreign Exchange Student from Italy), Rina Kono (Foreign Exchange Student from Japan), Clarence Hobbs, Jared Trowbridge, Dennis Jackson, Jana Jackson (DAPA), Madeleine Ethell (Foreign Exchange Student from Australia), Nikki Zhao (Foreign Exchange Student from China), Larry Bartley, Jennifer Trowbridge and Denise Hudson.