Testimonials

Testimonials

“Life changing. My compassion for international students increased.”

“I expected to learn some new things at the Symposium. I learned far more than I anticipated and I was motivated and inspired to make some improvements to our program.”

“This conference did a great job of covering all aspects of having an international student program. Whether you are beginning to investigate starting a program or have an established program that you can network with colleagues for better ideas, this conference has you covered.”

“As a new program coordinator I found this Symposium extremely valuable. I attended the pre-symposium and enjoyed the overall view of a program, as well as the different perspectives (teacher, administrator, host family, home parent, and coordinator). This was extremely valuable to me. I also enjoyed attending the sessions that I felt I was the weakest in. I enjoyed learning and connecting with others who each brought their own perspective or ideas to the table. This experience was invaluable to me. I look forward to attending again next year!”

“Information and support in multiple areas to help start, grow, maintain your International Program.”

“I look forward to the Symposium as a breath of fresh air in what can be a very hectic school year. Listening to others who have been doing this a lot longer than I have, as well as hearing from others who’ve had the same stresses and struggles lets me know that it’s normal to face problems. Not only that, but the session leaders and attendees give me creative and helpful ways to work through the problems I encounter. The Symposium helps re-focus, inspire, and energize me to work with our International Student Program, and I look forward to attending again next year!”

“Well worth your time and money! Every year I come away encouraged, challenged and refreshed to implement something that will make our program better!”

“I highly value WaNet’s years of experience and heart for ISPs. They present with such humility and transparency that we are all learning from their failures and successes. Presenters often ask the attendees to share out from their experiences as well. I find many best practices and challenges to my thinking at this conference.”

“As a representative from a school that is just starting an ELL program, I found the Symposium incredibly helpful.”

“Great information, repetitive, having more snacks available on all floors.”

“It was awesome sharing in the blessings and challenges of international programs with others who are involved with international students!”

“This was my fourth year in attendance. The knowledge acquired throughout those years has allowed Victory to strengthen its Program with increased support from administration. The willingness of presenters to reach out and mentor by providing advice, forms and ideas, not only at the Symposiums but throughout the years, has been invaluable. I have and will continue to recommend this Symposium to other Christian schools.”

“Very helpful. As a first year teacher I feel better equipped to work with international students.”

“Our team enjoyed learning about the experience of others. We all came away with great ideas that we will begin to explore in order to enhance our services to students, their families, teachers, etc. Thank you for providing a forum that brings service providers together to learn how to best meet the needs of students in an international program.”

“This was one of the best organized conferences I’ve ever attended. The content was terrific, the speakers were great, and the leadership behind all the details made this Symposium extremely valuable for us to attend.”

“I learned more than I expected. I came away with many specific ideas of ways to improve our Global Student Ministry.”

“I learned so much and walked away feeling more equipped and energized to be a stronger ISP director. The staff at Wheaton Academy, WANet and Wheaton College went above and beyond. They are some of the most giving and transparent educators around. They set the gold standard for ISP programs in our country and in our movement. Thank you for obeying the Lord and putting this together. WAnet operates in a spirit of excellence that is so desperately needed and appreciated.”

“The Symposium is very informative, a gathering of experience and passion. It will bless you and your international students.”

“Come and learn ways to communicate the love and hope of Jesus with students from very different cultures – it’s an investment with everlasting benefits.”

“Very insightful and informative, equipping and inspiring me to revisit our ways of ministering to our international students and understanding their academic and spiritual needs as well as their cultural background.”

“Preparing host families to better understand international students, their culture, beliefs & upbringing and adopt ways of making their experience unique.”

“It was a wonderful experience which increased my passion for this new program that we have started at our school. The conference inspired and excited me about how the Lord could use this program. Also-thank you for taking us to the airport.”

“One of the tremendous benefits of the WAnet Symposium is hearing from and getting to connect with others who are actively a part of international student program–individuals who live out their calling everyday in that space. The real value at the WAnet Symposium is the connections that are made with international student program directors, educators, host parents, and the international students themselves. All are coming together to learn, to share, and to grow the best international student program possible. Gleaning from others’ first-hand experiences and insights is what makes this conference unique.”

“If you are looking to begin or improve your ISP, look no further. This is a comprehensive look at what caring for our international students is all about. At the symposium you have the unique opportunity to get inside information from all different perspectives: host families, students, directors, guidance counselors, teachers, and administrators.”

“Every year I walk away feeling more energized for the school year ahead and more inspired for the year to come.”

“The supports and knowledge base for anyone involved in international education in our schools is much bigger and more well-developed than I could have ever guessed had I not attended this symposium.”

“I absolutely went away with a panoramic view of the ISP and Home Stay Program. I have hosted for 9 years and this made me look at the entire process/program from a different angle. I am excited about future students!”

“Great information from individuals that genuinely love and care for international students. An incredible resource!!”

“Having attended for the third year, I feel like I was able to clearly see what we’ve done well and what we need to work on. Rather than feeling overwhelmed with what we haven’t done, I feel that I am able to choose 3 to 4 concrete things that we can do to make our program better. Each year attending, I grow more comfortable with what we are doing and get excited about what we can do to continue to serve our students, staff and host families.”

“An extensive, varied offering of topics in the sessions! I loved hearing current students and teachers!”

“If we’re going to get this program off the ground and do it right, administrators who are involved must attend this conference.”

“The Homestay Symposium is the only place that I receive professional development specifically for working with International students and the struggles that go along with an International program. I appreciate that Wheaton Academy shares their experiences and resources with others.”

“A very good environment to bring your questions about your ELL program, but make sure you understand how each seminar might answer those questions before you choose which ones to attend.”

“A great place to connect with like-minded professionals and gain fresh ideas and perspectives.”

“The Symposium is all about ‘best practices’ and is uniquely valuable every year, so much so that I am committed to attend annually and bring my staff.”

“Homestay Symposium is well worth the time and expense. It is a superb way to learn about providing a comprehensive experience for our international students. This is a field that is so new that there are few quality resources out there – this is one of the few!”

“The goal of the symposium was to connect, equip, and inspire. It delivered in each of those areas! I came alone this year, but hope to be back with additional staff next year! • Worth every penny. We returned to our school with concrete steps for improving our international student program.”

“I was extremely impressed with the willingness of the presenters to share best practices. I sensed they really wanted to help my school and me improve.”

“A really great conference. I really received lots of good ideas and left with lots of resources and support materials! Very thankful I was to be able to attend!”

“Very practical with great takeaways and a wonderful opportunity share experiences!”

“The symposium opened my eyes to the possibilities of an international student program at our school.”

“The Symposium really helped me get a new perspective and develop new ideas for how to improve our program.”

“The symposium helped me to see how other schools were running their international programs and allowed me to learn new ideas to make our program better. Gleaned a lot of new ideas from fellow participants.”

“The symposium helped me get a big picture for working with international students, as well as deepening my love and excitement to keep working with them! It sparked creativity with projects and ideas to go back to my school and try.”

“Each year I attend the Symposium and come away refreshed and excited about new ideas for our program!”

“This opportunity is essential for anyone wanting to lead and develop a quality international program at their Christian school.”

“The WANet Homestay Symposium was a great experience! I left feeling energized and confident about how to lead the international homestay program at my school.”

“The symposium provided me with an invaluable amount of information and ideas. Each session provided good content, answers to questions, and networking. I went home with more ideas than I can possibly do in a year, but the resources I gained will definitely make our program better.”

“Great presenters who shared fantastic resources for just about every aspect of an international student program!”

“The information you get at the symposium will make your head spin but absolutely improve your ministry to international students. Bring as many teachers, admin and host parents as possible.”

“This is the most helpful experience I have received related to improving our ISP since I became an ISP Director five years ago.”