OBITUARIES 22
The Ocean Star
HOUSES OF WORSHIP 22
EVENTS 26
STREET BEAT 25
FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2017
Students visiting the U.S. through the Intercultural Friends Foundation got a taste of the American experience on a visit to the iconic Charging Bull in the financial district of New York.
Making international friends
... the kids come and go, but the rela-
tionships with the families, they are
for a lifetime.
SCOT KING, Intercultural Friends Foundation
BY KAYLA MARSH
THE OCEAN STAR
wenty years ago,
T Scot King took a leap
of faith, accepting an
offer to run a pro-
gram that would
combine his educa-
tional background with an in-
terest in introducing students
from other countries to life
and culture in the United
States.
I really enjoy working
with youth, he said. It has
been my passion throughout
my whole life.
Today, Mr. King, of Point
Pleasant, embraces his pas-
sion for creating an everlast-
ing impact on lives on two
fronts.
In the early years of mov-
ing to the Shore from Point
Pleasant, Pennsylvania, Mr.
King pursued a career in edu-
cation obtaining bache-
lors and masters degrees
from Ocean County College,
Rutgers and Jersey City uni-
versities.
When not working in the
Freehold school district as a
fifth-grade teacher, Mr. King
serves as area coordinator for
the New Jersey division of
the Intercultural Friends
Foundation.
THE FOUNDATION
Twenty years ago Mr. King
received a call to run the lo-
cal division of Intercultural
Friends Foundation, which
affords students from coun-
tries including France and
Spain the opportunity to visit
the United States and stay
with families in Point Pleas-
ant and surrounding commu-
nities for a few weeks during
the summer.
POINT PLEASANTS SCOT KING FOSTERS INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIPS
I was young and said,
Sure, [but really] had never
done anything like this before
in my life, he said. There
are so many logistics that go
into running a program,
building those relationships,
but I saw the value of it and
saw the potential and
thought, This is a program
that impacts lives.
Recalling his first year co-
ordinating, when he had
three weeks to place 20 stu-
dents in host homes, Mr.
King said it was a risk to take
on, but one he is glad he took
as the program has now im-
pacted nearly 800 students.
I think of the different sto-
ries we have and ... it has
more of an impact [on the
families and kids] than any-
thing else they have done in
their life, he said.
People often say, If it was
my child I could never do
this.
To take your child and
send them overseas to some-
body that you dont even
know is pretty impressive
and fortunately we have
found some incredible fami-
lies over the years.
Most people do it for the
benefit of the kids. Like any-
thing in life when you give to
somebody, give them your-
self, you actually benefit
more than the person you are
giving to and you dont real-
ize it until afterwards.
According to Mr. King, stu-
dents arrive at the end of
June and stay for four weeks.
Some students have classes
during the day while others
are part of an immersion pro-
gram.
PEOPLE
In addition to a career as a third-grade teacher, Point Pleasant resi-
dent Scot King serves as New Jersey coordinator for the
Intercultural Friends Foundation.
Students [in the immer-
sion program] ... live as a fam-
ily member and participate in
the family as an active mem-
ber, Mr. King said.
Those who go to class,
they are based on American
culture and may include poli-
tics, religion, sports and
many other aspects of Amer-
ican culture. This allows the
students to get to understand
American culture in a non-
threatening way.
This summer approximate-
ly 35 students will be arriving.
Families are asked to al-
low the child to be a part of
the family. I dont want them
to be a guest, I want them to
be comfortable ... as if theyve
lived there their whole life,
Mr. King said.
As part of his role as coor-
dinator, Mr. King hosts excur-
sions when families and stu-
RYAN WELSH THE OCEAN STAR
dents are able to bond togeth-
er.
We take the kids to New
York, Philadelphia, we do a
BlueClaws game ... and there
is so much laughter, it is great
and so much fun, he said.
Mr. Kings wife Camille
agreed, adding that time
spent together as a family
doesnt have to be anything
grand.
It is for every economic
level of family. We like to
have a game night here and
the families come with their
students or they go camping
or barbecue outside, she
said.
It doesnt have to be,
What am I going to do? It
could be just enjoying going
to the beach or whatever you
do as a family. It is about hav-
ing fun and getting to know
each other. You dont have to
PAGE 19
COURTESY OF SCOT KING
Weve hosted many times and it just
really opens your eyes to another
culture.
CAMILLE KING, Intercultural Friends Foundation
spend a lot of money to dren positively impacted by
spend quality time together. the program, he has been
changed by it as well.
DISPELLING PERCEPTIONS I have changed just be-
According to Mr. King, cause of my experiences with
hosting the program opens the kids, he said.
eyes for all involved. They are exceptional kids. I
I have had families that cant get over the quality of
would never have sent their kids that come over here.
child to Europe because they To have dealt with so many
are afraid, but now after they kids, it is just incredible the
have had the student come in high quality of the individuals
and they get to know them ... and its amazing what they see
it opens your eyes to a whole and want to see and they are
new world, he said. just so excited to be here.
As Americans ... often- Mr. King said his hope is
times we dont realize that that the host families have a
there is another world out good experience.
there. When you bring some- If the kids have a good ex-
one into your home, all of a perience, thats a bonus, he
sudden it makes the world a said. What I truly believe is if
little bit bigger and you start the families have a good expe-
opening your mind to other rience, the kids will have a
things and other people. good experience.
We want to open eyes to I run the program for their
the rest of the world because benefit, he added of the host
there is so much out there. families.
Ms. King agreed, adding When [students] get to
the experience is what you bond with their families, all of
make of it. a sudden that relationship
Weve hosted many times goes from a visitor to a long-
and it just really opens your term relationship that extends
eyes to another culture, she for years. It has become a bet-
said. ter program because of that.
If you havent been to Mr. King said he hopes to
Spain or France or wherever, expand his horizons in the fu-
its like having that country in ture.
your living room for a short My goal is to eventually es-
time. tablish a nonprofit of my own
The kids are so wiling to to continue this in the area, he
talk and share about their said.
home life and culture, the dif- This is our life. This is so
ferences between America important to us and building
and Spain ... but then when those relationships is so im-
you are sitting across from portant.
them you really see you are What I love, the kids come
so much the same. and go, but the relationships
It has been quite an edu- with the families they are for a
cation over the years. lifetime. It is so great the rela-
tionships we have developed
LASTING IMPACT because of this. It brings peo-
Mr. King said while he has ple together and is really im-
seen many families and chil- pactful.