By Sara Ballenger

Brian and Kay Evans of Los Altos Hills met while Brian was an exchange student in Kay’s native Japan. So it’s only fitting that they are now working to place exchange students with local families in the Los Altos area.

“This is our first year, so we are on a learning curve,” Brian said. The couple work as a liaison between students and host families with Center for Cultural Interchange, a national non-profit organization that seeks to promote world peace through cultural understanding.

The foreign students who will be arriving in August need to be placed with host families. The Evans hope to bring some to Los Altos, but first they need to find enough willing families.

“Most of the students are in high school and are coming for the full academic year,” Brian said, “although some do come for just a semester, summer or independent homestay programs.”

CCI brought 1,770 students to the United States last year, Kay said. However, only eight came to California, none of them to the Los Altos area.

“There is an interest out there, but we haven’t been able to place any students yet,” Brian said. “The students really do come from all over the world, and they go through a screening process. They have to pass an English proficiency test and have letters of recommendation.”

While a host family does not receive any financial compensation, the Evans feel there is a payoff in hosting a foreign student.

“It’s a great way to learn so much about another culture and get a different perspective. It broadens your world in a general way,” Brian said. “Families can have a lot of fun showing a student around the area and can maybe even learn another language.”

For more information, call Brian and Kay Evans at 947-9486 or logon to www.cci-exchange.com.