South Shore Regional Centre for Education

The South Shore Regional Centre for Education (SSRCE) practices the culturally responsive pedagogy approach in providing an inclusive, diverse, equitable, safe and healthy education that supports learning and success both personally and academically to the 59,000 residents of Lunenburg and Queens Counties, an area of 5,250 square kilometres and a total of 23 schools.

Regional Centres for Education have Employment Equity Policies and/or processes and we actively encourage applications from under-represented groups, particularly people of African Nova Scotian, African Canadian and African ancestry and Mi’kmaw/Indigenous ancestry. Please ensure that you complete the self-identification portion on the position application.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROGRAM

HOMESTAY COORDINATOR

PART TIME, FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULE

The South Shore Regional International Student Program requires a Homestay Coordinator for County.  The Homestay Coordinator will be responsible for the recruitment and monitoring of homestay families and be the liaison between international students and their homestay families in their respective area.  

Qualifications:
•    Relevant education or at least two years work‎, ‎or volunteer experience in the field of education‎, ‎recruitment, social work‎, ‎social sciences‎, ‎or other related fields‎.‎
•    Must demonstrate sensitivity for the requirements of international students‎: ‎language difficulties‎, ‎culture shock ‎and community‎/‎school adjustment‎. ‎International experiences an asset‎. ‎Experience as a Homestay parent is an asset but not required.‎
•    Experience in programming for youth aged 13-18 years‎.‎
•    Must be tech savvy‎, ‎and possess effective written and verbal communication skills‎.‎
•    A valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle.  

Characteristics:
•    Highly motivated self-starter with a growth mindset
•    Ability to organize and carry out tasks efficiently as a team member and individually
•    Possess positive communication and interpersonal skills
•    Exercises attention to detail
•    Flexible

Task Dimensions:
The Homestay Coordinator’s responsibilities include‎:‎
•    Developing an inventory of homestay families to host incoming international students‎.‎
•    Visiting the homes and interviewing potential homestay families‎.‎
•    Obtaining all appropriate documentation including‎

• Homestay application‎
• Child Abuse Registry Check ‎& ‎Renewals‎
• Criminal Records/RCMP Check‎

•    Matching students with a Homestay family, based on information provided in student applications, interviews and home visits.
•    Provide ongoing counseling, dispute resolution, and mediation for host families and students.
•    The coordinator will always remain neutral when dealing with issues between the host family and student.
•    Assisting in the orientation of students to the province and the program‎.‎
•    Communicate any new information to host families and students regarding the program, events, changes in schedule, new student arrival, etc.
•    Maintain contact with host families and students at least once per month‎, ‎and additional contact as required‎. ‎
•    Minimum of once a year visit in each host family home is mandatory‎.‎
•    Preparation and electronic submission of regular reports on the status of the students and host families‎, ‎which ‎may include checks on student attendance and marks at regular reporting periods‎.‎
•    Participation in all meetings convened to review discipline or other issues affecting international students or ‎host families ‎in their region.
•    Being available to students and host families during the entire school year, seven days a week,‎ day and night as needed.
•    Coordinating airport arrivals‎, ‎departures and airport greetings‎ for your host families and students in your region.
•    Assisting with the coordinating of monthly activities for students‎, ‎such as‎, ‎but not limited to‎: ‎attending festivals‎, ‎bowling and pizza‎, ‎ skating‎, ‎cultural activities‎, ‎etc‎. ‎in cooperation with the other Program Manager‎.‎ Several of these events are on the weekends.
•    Collaborating and cooperating with SSRCE NSISP Coordinator‎, ‎including copies of all correspondence between ‎you and the student’s natural parents and‎/‎or agent‎.‎
•    Maintaining the highest level of trust and confidentiality with regards to all files and information‎.‎

•    Complies with the Occupational Safety Act and Regulations.

•    Performs other related duties as required.

For additional information regarding this position, please contact Steven McGill, Director, SSRCE ISP at mcgills@ssrce.ca

BACKGROUND/SECURITY CHECKS:

The South Shore Regional Centre for Education requires all newly hired employees to provide a satisfactory Criminal Record / Vulnerable Sector Check and a Nova Scotia Child Abuse Register Check. We will accept checks completed within the last 3 months. 

Thank you for your interest in the South Shore Regional Centre for Education, however, only those shortlisted for an interview will be contacted.