*THIS PROGRAM IS NOT MANAGED BY NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY*

The Flagstaff International Friendship Program, or FlagFRIENDS, offers community members from Flagstaff and the surrounding areas the opportunity to extend their friendship with international students who are studying at Northern Arizona University.

The image of the United States that international students take back to their countries may depend largely on their day-to-day experiences outside their academic schedule. Personal encounters and the development of understanding between individuals of different nations are surely important keys to achieving world peace

Purpose of the Program

• To provide opportunities for international students to develop friendships with Americans and to gain an understanding of life in the United States.
• To offer Americans opportunities to broaden their knowledge and understanding of other countries and people by having international friends.

What NAU students from many different countries have in common is the interest to learn more about the U.S. through friendship with a local family or host. Most of the students are academically enrolled in graduate or undergraduate degree programs, some are here as exchange students for an academic semester or two, and others attend the Program in Intensive English.

• This is not a home-stay program
• Participants are assigned to a family or single individual of the same sex. The host/student connection may last for a semester or for the whole time the student or professor is studying or working at NAU (and many times the friendship lasts for a lifetime).
• The assignments are made by attempting to match professions, interests, and hobbies. 
• Once a month, or more often, the host is expected to invite the student to join them in activities such as family dinners, picnics, holiday celebrations, sports activities or musical events. 
• When the assignment is made, you will receive information about the student and they will receive your name. It will be your responsibility to contact the person you are assigned to and introduce yourself. 
• Assistance to hosts is available from the community program coordinators and the Center for International Education.

If you're interested in applying, or perhaps finding more information about the responsibilities as a host, please check out the application packet.

If you have any questions about this program, please contact Angela Roberts.