I had the opportunity to go to Toronto, Canada where I met other OSEF volunteers from Canada and France to see how the program operates. I was able to observe the arrival of the French students, their three day orientation and their departure to the western provinces. All went smoothly due to the number of volunteers accompanying the students, and the number of volunteers stationed in Toronto. Volunteers also play an important role in the matching process. Several days are spent matching the applications of exchange partners to insure that they are compatible as far as personal habits, religion, character traits and interests. Students are accompanied by volunteers for all international travel and travel within the country, and OSEF volunteers are always available to the students within the host country for whatever reason. Many of the younger volunteers are former exchange students in the program and are motivated by the positive experience they had.
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