The responsibilities of an Area Coordinator are varied. You are the direct supervisor of the ECI student and host family. ECI depends on you to provide support and guidance to your students and families. 

Your role as counselor includes:

1. Helping students cope with homesickness
2. Counseling students and families about accepting different customs and lifestyles
3. Explaining program rules and guidelines
4. Explaining school responsibilities
5. Providing a refuge for a student if they need to be removed from a situation

Telephone Reports

Your supervising Regional Director needs regular updates on any troublesome situations. It is important to keep accurate records on any contacts made with, and on behalf of, your student. Include the date, name of person contacted and a synopsis of what transpired. The student’s file at the ECI office must have up-to-date information about the student’s behavior, school performance and relationship with the host family. 

Be organized whenever you call your Regional Director to report a situation. Have the student's name and number ready. Prepare a list of the topics for discussion before calling the Regional Director.

ECI requires that Area Coordinators meet personally with each student and family. Monthly Student Reports must be submitted to the ECI office. These reports should be in the office no later than the 5th of each month. Whenever possible, include grade reports. Please include the student’s name and student number on all correspondence.

Telephone calls and visits keep you in touch with your students and host families. They provide a regular, predictable routine for program participants to discuss how the program is going. After each conversation with your students, please remind them of your telephone number. They must be convinced that you can be reached at anytime, day or night.

ECI encourages you to get your students together for group activities. Plan potluck suppers,  picnics, bowling nights, pizza parties and student birthday celebrations. These gatherings are fun and provide an avenue for students to share common concerns. 

You, as Area Coordinator in your community, are the person responsible for obtaining permission from each school where you wish to enroll a foreign student.

Contacting Principals

Before recruiting host families know the answers to the following questions:

1. What is the local school policy regarding foreign exchange students?
2. How many exchange students are allowed to enroll in the school?
3. What grades are permitted for international exchange students?
4. Will the student be allowed to try-out for sports teams?
5. Will the student be allowed to participate in the graduation exercise?
6. Will the student receive a diploma?

Get your answers by calling the Principal of the school where you wish to place students. Make appointments to introduce yourself and the ECI Program to the schools. Contacting the Principals first shows respect for them and the school administration.

Keep In Touch With The School

Part of your responsibility as an Area Coordinator is to maintain close contact with each school. The following are suggested ways to keep in touch:

1. Send a thank-you note at the end of the placement process. Express your appreciation and remind them of your availability for support and advice. 
2. Call your school contact person regularly to see how students are doing.
3. Request copies of report cards to catch any study problems early.
4. Send Holiday/Season Greetings cards to teachers and counselors. 
5. Highlight the schools’ participation in the ECI program by arranging for a story in your local paper.
6. Urge students to write thank-you notes to teachers and schools at the end of the program. This thank you might also be published as a letter to the editor of the newspaper.