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***Please note that the dollar amounts are relative to 2007 and can fluctuate from year to year. They are included to give a sense of how much thing have cost or could cost.
Interns: International native language speakers that provide support in the classroom.
Are important because they lend authenticity, accent, dialects, language exposure, cultural benefits, and provide an extra adult in the classroom.
They come from various native-speaking countries with the host schools' language of choice. They are typically college graduates interested in teaching
Each individual school is responsible for their program and interns. Typically the PTO finances the programs through fundraising and donations from parents.
There are several organizations that will do the recruiting, screening and legal paperwork for a fee. A few examples are Amity, IEE, and Cordell Hull. These sites are a good starting point for schools and parents wondering how to start an international intern program. Some schools may do their own recruiting (see Normandale French Immersion link for more information).
How do they get here,
Schools will be given dossiers of information on candidates to choose from. Some of the information that is collected from the candidates include a police report, a medical report, a bank statement showing they have at least $150/month available for the time they would be in the US, and proof of close relationship in their home country (somewhat of a guarantee that they will return home).
How much does it cost (can it cost),
Immersion school intern programs are at different levels of establishment. The common factors include but are not limited to: being volunteer run, the intern program is the main reason for and largest item in PTO budgets. Depending on how well the fundraising goes and how many host families can be found may determine the number of interns a school will have.
What happens once they get here,
Prior to the beginning of school, the interns will arrive and tour the school, get their social security cards and meet their host families.
Support positions can include;
Host families: provide food, shelter, and family atmosphere. Some programs have students live with the same host family throughout the year, others will change families halfway through the year.
Partner families: provides additional social contact and helps with transportation.
Liason: works with 1-2 interns through family situations such as noisy children, and filing of taxes.
Social Coordinator: coordinates 1-2 social events per month. PTO subsidizes half of the cost depending on the budget.
Site coordinator: Staff person, who mentors the interns, provides education programming.
Other considerations:
Monthly stipend: PTO pays the interns a monthly stipend and may include lunch. Health insurance and dental insurance are also considerations.
Transportation- some schools will have transportation committees made up of people that will provide transportation to and from school, social and education events.
Education- most schools will include an educational component where interns will be able to enroll in educational courses at nearby schools.
Social- many programs have planned social events outside of school, and some may have a social planning committee.
Doctor- many programs include health insurance as part of the fee for providing interns. However, health insurance doesn’t cover everything and consideration should be given for the uncovered expenses.
Taxes- Interns are required to pay taxes and may need help filling out and filing the appropriate forms.
In School support- some school districts have delegated staff people who will act as mentors and provide educational programming.
Classroom assignment- while the PTO funds the intern program, it is the principal and teachers that determine the placement of the interns within the school.
Lunch/recess- many programs restrict intern activities so they are unable to provide lunchroom and/or recess duties.
Tips- Having policies in place has helped many programs. For instance, if there is a conflict between the intern and a host family that there is a clear policy on how to handle and confidentiality.
Fundraising
The majority of an immersion schools budget goes towards the intern program. Please see our fundraising page for fundraising ideas.
Online Resources,
Links to school handbooks and communication material related to International Teaching Assistants may be found on the Helpful Docs page.
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Interns 
