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In This Issue:Advisors’ Angle: Cultural Adjustment. . . . . . . . . . 3

International Education Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Introducing:Director of Administration Amber Zumski-Finke . . . . . . .4

Keeping Up with NODPrograms..........................2

CultureNote: China ...............................4

nod vOICESSTRONG START FOR YASAMEENY

asameen Mohammadi of Afghanistan finished the 2012-13 school year - her first at St. Paul Preparatory School (SPP) - on a strong note, winning multiple art awards.

As her junior year begins, she is taking that momentum even further as a student leader.

In her second year on Student Council, Yasameen recognizes what it takes to be a multicultural leader. She says that SPP has helped her become a culturally conscious leader. She notes how the broad background of SPP’s student population lends to diverse ways of thinking. “Ideas here are very different; you have to see openly from every aspect and culture to make decisions,” she says.

Over the summer, Yasameen worked with Film Annex, a New York-based internet media company, writing blogs and translating others’ blogs between the English and Persian language in her home country. The company is working on a film documentary of her experiences and life story.

Last year, Yasameen won an award from the Dream@50 Art competition honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for her drawing titled Freedom. She had artwork on display at the 2013 annual ARTwalk exhibition of student artwork in downtown St. Paul, MN, and her artwork was selected to be featured on a Clear Channel ARTwalk electronic billboard. Yasameen was awarded 2nd Place for “My Old House” in the 2013 Congressional Art Competition, which is now hanging in MN Congresswoman Betty McCollum’s Washington D.C. office.

SPP art teacher Kate Woolever Martinez sees Yasameen’s leadership expressed in her art: “In her artwork and in her everyday values, Yasameen is here to make a statement, to educate others, to stand up for what she believes and make a positive change in the world.”

Congresswoman Betty McCollum & Yasameen Mohammadi with her painting at the 2013 Congressional Art Competition

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Board of DirectorsDr. Frank Tarsitano, PhD – ChairmanMr. Steve Murphy – SecretaryMs. Alice Murphy – TreasurerMr. Gerard AvundoMr. Arnold Franco Mr. Francois Jean HucMs. Hilda Jaffe

Senior Management TeamDr. Frank Tarsitano, PhD – CEO & PresidentMr. Richard Banasikowski, MA – Vice President Mr. Jean Burdin – President, Nacel InternationalMr. Roy S. Nilsson – CFO

Advisory BoardMr. Jean Burdin – President, Nacel InternationalMr. Pierre Coudry – Interclass BrazilMs. Toni Cowles – Retired, Lauder Institute at the Wharton School, UPENNMr. Jaeho Eohm – International Language Forum, KoreaDr. Abraham Ho, DA – Nacel AsiaMs. Marie Jose Huc – CLC

NACEL OPEN DOOR EXECUTIVES

This newsletter is a publication of Nacel Open Door, Inc. For more information on NOD programs and opportunities, please call 800-622-3553, or visit our website at www.nacelopendoor.org.

Newsletter Production Staff: Director of Operations: Rae LenwayDirector of Marketing & Communications: Shannon RauschMarketing Communications Assistant: Karina Rajtar

Nacel Open Door, Inc. (NOD) offers multiple programs

in the United States and abroad to meet a variety of cultural and academic goals for all students.

These programs range in duration from one week to multiple years. The focus of some programs is a complete cultural immersion and exchange, while others are focused more on college preparation.

KEEPING UP WITh NOD PROGRAMSStudents on the Academic Year Program (AYP) and Private School Program (PSP) are adjusting to their American Host Families, schools, and communities. Many are taking full advantage of their U.S. experience by making new friends, joining extracurricular activities, and teaching their classmates and neighbors about their home country. Others are still adjusting and gradually getting to this point of involvement.

PSP Regional Program Directors and a contingency of Local Reps attended a workshop in St. Paul in early October. Topics discussed included rapport building, teaching cultural sensitivity, and Host Family recruitment. There were also presentations from Korean and Chinese Foreign Partners.

St. Paul Preparatory School (SPP) had a large turnout of parents, students, staff, as well as a few alumni and former teachers at the 10 Year Celebration in September. Parents had an additional opportunity to meet the principal, talk to faculty, and learn about the courses their students are taking at the annual Back to School Night open house in October.

SPP students continue to be engaged in the community. This is the second year of SPP Nights Out, activities that are organized by teachers and staff at SPP to provide students with opportunities to engage in the larger communities within the Twin Cities. In addition, this year SPP has launched a new service learning component, in which students fulfill volunteer hours as a graduation requirement. In mid-October, the entire senior class spent their morning beautifying local parks by mulching and gardening with St. Paul Parks and Recreation.

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Cultural adjustment has often been described as a rollercoaster. Students may be happy and excited about their experience one day but nervous and homesick the next. Sharing their feelings with a friend, Local Rep or other trusted adult may help students to process their experiences.

As students begin to get settled in their host families, schools and communities, they may feel homesick or overwhelmed often during this period of adjustment. Some people experience homesickness as feeling sadness and anxiety; other people may feel irritable or hopeless. If students feel any of these symptoms of homesickness, they may benefit from trying several coping strategies.

Staying active and building relationships is a good way to work through this period of adjustment. Encourage students to sign up for an after-school activity or invite a classmate to hang out with them during the weekend. Students can ask their Local Representatives, teachers or host families for ideas about upcoming school or community activities. Spending time with the host family can help students focus on their experience here. Remember that students need to balance their social interactions with time alone to reflect and recharge. A healthy balance can be different for each student.

A positive attitude affects how a person

views their new experiences. Deliberately finding a positive aspect of each day can help cultivate a balanced perspective. Encourage students to think about their host family, school and community: what is something that they like in each of those? Whether it is a new hobby, favorite meal, or a new friend, exploring that interest can enrich each student’s adjustment.

We look forward to working with each of you as you support the current students. The Advising Team welcomes any questions and wishes everyone the best possible year.

ADvISORS’ ANGlE: CUlTURAl ADJUSTMENT

In 2000, the U.S. Departments of State and Education teamed up to create International Education Week (IEW), a week dedicated to celebrating the benefits of international education and exchange. Now, IEW is celebrated in more than 100 countries worldwide each November. This year’s IEW is November 11-15.

Celebrations and events to commemorate IEW vary. Some organizations host international parties; some host guest speakers who can teach the audience about another culture or their personal story of international education; the Nacel Open Door National Office holds an annual international potluck.

Local Reps should encourage students to use IEW as an opportunity to share their culture with their Host Family, school, and community in a special way. They can arrange to give a presentation about their culture, perform a dance or song, play an instrument unique to their home country, or share a recipe or cook for their Host Family.

Local Reps can work with students to put together an international party with other international students and families, both current and prospective. Use this as an opportunity to show your community the value of international education and hosting a student!

We would love to hear about your IEW plans and celebrations! Send in photos to ayp-blog@nacelopendoor.org or psp-blog@nacelopendoor.org with your IEW story!

INTERNATIONAl EDUCATION WEEK

The National Office celebrates IEW with an annual international potluck.

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Nacel Open Door National Office 380 Jackson Street, Suite 200

St. Paul, MN 55101 USA

T: 651-686-0080800-622-3553

F: 651-686-9601www.nacelopendoor.orginfo@nacelopendoor.org

www.facebook.com/NacelOpenDoorInc

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CUlTURENOTES INTRODUCING...Amber Zumski-Finke: Director of Administration & Compliance

Amber oversees administration and compliance for AYP and PSP. She works with NOD’s partners to ensure student applications are complete and qualified and with the network of Local Reps and Coordinators to ensure students are safe and all Department of State and CSIET requirements are met. The way Amber likes to think of it is that she is involved in “anything that has a piece of paper that goes with it.”

Each day opens Amber’s eyes a little more about the world. “I really like working with people from so many different cultural backgrounds,” she says. “I get to learn new things all the time.”

Amber always had an interest in other cultures. In college, she studied abroad in Cuba. “Getting to see another culture so

intimately really changed how I see the world,” she says. She enjoys facilitating similar experiences for others.

One of Amber’s main responsibilities is to coordinate the collection of files and materials for the annual audits for AYP and PSP. She would like to remind Local Reps to ensure all paperwork is complete and that proper protocols are followed in student move situations. Missed steps can cause problems so please make sure everything is done in order.

Amber’s advice to students is to be open to trying the local cuisine. She would remind students that the new things they see and try in the U.S. are not weird, just different. Finally, she offers a fair warning: “Our chocolate’s not as good as yours is.”

Amber can be reached by email at azumski@nacelopendoor.org or at ext. 614.

ChINAChinese students come from a collective culture that values respect for elders, tradition, and humility. This differs from the American individualistic culture and could lead to mis-understandings.

One place this difference may be especially apparent is in the classroom. In China, students are taught to respect teachers and be quiet listeners. However, in the U.S., classes are more interactive and informal. As your student becomes more familiar with the format of classes and adjusts to using English all day, he/she will likely interact more.

Another cultural difference concerns the chain of command. In the U.S., when someone needs an authority figure to solve a problem, they fol-low the chain of command. In China, it is considered most efficient to go directly to the highest authority.

Initially, students may be “shy” speaking English for fear of embarrassing themselves if they make a mistake. The Chinese place great emphasis on saving face. Reputation is very important in their culture, and they will avoid any instance of public embarrass-ment or criticism.