At a recent council meeting for the Municipality of Eastern Charlotte, Wendy Brooks, the homestead administrator for Anglophone School District South, and Debbie Thomas, the Regional Manager of the International Students Program, made a presentation to council

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"Our goal is to bring awareness about the New Brunswick International Student Program," said Thomas addressing the Mayor, councillors, CAO and town clerk. "Our program goes from Sussex to St. Stephen. We have 224 students in our high schools and we're looking to continue to grow.

We want to bring awareness in our communities that we're here and that we're hoping to find new home stays and to help our international students recognise how beautiful a place it is that we live in and how wonderful it is to be a part of our communities."

Brooks stressed that part of the importance of international students in the community is that they enrich the diversity of the region and offer locals the chance to learn about other cultures without even leaving their own community.

"The exchange students teach our communities more about other cultures and people and languages and diversity," said Brooks. "My daughter wouldn't want me to point her out, but she's here with me tonight. And her best friend at school right now is an international student. And we've learned so much. She's in our home all the time, and she's from Mexico. And we've learned so much about that culture. And our kids are learning that in their schools from going to school with these students."

Brooks and Thomas stressed that communities often benefit financially from international students. Not only does each school get additional funding per international student that is not in their regular budget, each student injects approximately $25,000 into the local economy during their stay, and many often stay on to attend university and even work and live in New Brunswick.

Brooks and Thomas hope that their presentation helps spread the word on the importance of the program and also encourages New Brunswick families to provide 'homestays' for exchange students.