Suggestions For Students In The Community Host Program

It is important for students to remember that all community hosts participate in the program on a voluntary basis and receive no compensation for their efforts.  They genuinely want to get to know students and provide a supportive relationship.  Many of them lead busy lives but make time to reach out to Bowdoin students.  Because of this, it is critical that each student communicate openly and clearly with their host(s)—students should respond to emails, phone calls and/or texts in a timely fashion and let hosts know if they are going to be late to an event or will not be able to attend.  Some students may find that they are too busy or lose interest or do not click with their hosts—in these cases, it is especially important to communicate this with the family and/or Associate Director of Student Activities, Silvia Lorrain. 

Different community hosts have different schedules and varying resources.  They are not required to give students rides to the airport or house them or their parents over breaks or store their belongings. Students should inquire respectfully about these possibilities and not expect or demand them.  Also, students should consider the feasibility of their requests — 4am rides to the airport are better handled by a shuttle service than a community host.

Some students might come with certain expectations about their community host. For example, many students might expect a young family with children when most hosts are older couples with adult children. Some hosts consist of a single individual. Students should try to enter this relationship with an open mind.

Finally, while students might focus on what their community hosts can do for them, they might also consider the ways in which they can provide a special experience for their hosts. Students in the Community Host Program can consider themselves to be “ambassadors” of the College to the surrounding community.  In this sense, students might invite their hosts to join them at a play, concert, match, or other event in which they are involved or interested.  This is a relationship that can be rewarding for both hosts and students.