Every three years, students from Pinegrove School located in Shimla, Himachel Pridesh, India have the opportunity to visit and experience life in the United Sates. The students travel here where volunteer families of Santa Clarita will act as host families for these students for a two-week period between December 30 and January 18.

Pinegrove School is a private boarding school where the students are instructed in English. It is one of the top ranking schools in India.

Dave LeBarron, director of curriculum and assessment of the William S. Hart School District, works with a group of local volunteers who find families to take care of the students and plan the events and activities for the students to take part in.

For two weeks the exchange students will follow an itinerary that is full of events and activities which include visits to UCLA, the Ronald Reagan Museum, the Edwards Air Force Base, and Disneyland.

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What is more important LeBarron said, is the time that the students spend with their host families. “During the weekends, we ask the host families to incorporate their student into their lives,” LeBarron said.

LeBarron prefers that the host family have a high school aged child so that the student visiting from India can have a more lasting experience.

For one day out of the week, the student will visit the same high school as the child of the host family to be able to witness how teens in our country interact.

“The purpose is to give students in India a taste of life in the United States,” Lebarron said.

If you are interested in becoming a host family or learning more about it, contact Dave LeBarron at 661 259-0033.