HUNTSVILLE WEEKEND A BLAST



CIEE students, host families and local coordinators from a number of southeastern cities joined us in Huntsville last weekend to see some of what our area has to offer.  Saturday, we visited the US Space & Rocket Center where we enjoyed the IMAX movie, Journey Into Space, the simulators in Space Park and the museum exhibits.  Next we toured the beautiful Huntsville Botanical Garden featuring the largest butterfly house in the southeastern United States.  We ended the day at Parkway Place Mall where we had dinner, shopped and enjoyed one another's company.  Sunday morning we toured Cathedral Caverns, one of the most impressive caves in North America.



Students enjoy Space Shot, some multiple times

Group photo at Space Center

                                                              Monarch Butterfly in the Butterfly House

 



Two of our guests relax in the Butterfly House

 

Long from Vietnam, host brother JD, Boss from Thailand, Alvaro from Spain,

Trung from Vietnam and Fitim from Macedonia at the Botanical Garden 

 

Exchange students in front of mouth of Cathedral Caverns

 

Host families join them

 

Yuhang from China with his host brother and host mom after our tour of the caverns

 

Anna from China (left) made friends with two of our guests

 

 

 



IFEST A LOT OF FUN FOR EVERYONE

We set up a CIEE both at iFest, an annual international festival sponsored by UAH.  Victoria, Fitim, Boss, Alvaro, Xinran and Jachym all earned community service hours by working the booth.  We have some really good salesmen in our group!  We got contact info for 12 families who want us to send them more information about hosting!

KAYAKING ON THE ELK RIVER

We had a great turnout for the kayak trip - 18 participants, including exchange students, host families and LCs.  The weather was perfect and the river was beautiful!

Melanie and Yanzhi pose for a picture as we prepare to launch

We're off

The river is beautiful

Mary's first time kayaking

The Wilson clan

Relaxing after an afternoon on the river

The group

WELCOME PARTY A HUGE SUCCESS!!!!!

We had a great turn out for our welcome pool party, the first of many activities we have planned for our students and host families over the coming ten months.  Fourteen of our 16 students were able to make it to the party.  How awesome is that!

OUR STUDENTS ARE ARRIVING

Boss from Thailand at the airport with Jim, his Local Coordinator



Dae Kyuan from South Korea (left) enjoying a meal with David, his host dad,
and a friend

Victoria from Brazil (second from left) with the Cohen's, her host family, at the airport

Luwen from China with the Agrusa's, his host family, in their back yard

Xinran from China (right) with the Merritt's, his host family, at the airport

Fitim from Macedonia (left) with the Willis', his host family, at the airport

Yuhang from China (right) with the Reyes', his host family, at the airport

Anna from China (second from right) with the Farmer's, her host family, at the airport

Can from China (center) with the Belcher's, his host family, at the airport

Pavol from Slovakia (left) with the Graces, his host family, at the airport

Yanzhi from China (second from right) with Hergenroeder's, her host family, at the airport