Our story . . .
Fourteen years ago, my wife and I left everything we had in China. With four pieces of luggage, we came to the United States to pursue the “American Dream”. We were fortunate to be accepted at two top-tier business schools. Two years later, with our MBA’s in hand and job offers pending, we found our marriage broken. With God’s mercy and through the help of an American missionary, we became believers in Jesus Christ and our marriage was saved. God not only healed our marriage, He led us to Austin to grow in our faith, raise our two children, and enjoy successful careers in the marketplace. We’ve been greatly blessed.
Now, more Chinese students than ever are coming to the States to pursue the same dream, but they are no longer just coming for collegiate undergraduate and graduate level studies, they are coming for High School – and in some cases as early as Junior High. With an increasingly crowded and competitive education system in China, their parents are hopeful that an American education can give their children a chance to realize their potential and pursue opportunities outside of China.
While achieving academic excellence and exploring extracurricular interests are important, nothing is more impactful – either in a positive way or a negative way – than the residential element of studying abroad. We believe that the residential needs of international students can be uniquely met in a Christian environment – a place where they may be loved and introduced to the truth of Christ through caring families. With this burden and the mission to help students to “grow in wisdom and stature”, we founded Premier Education Partners in 2014.
We believe we can achieve this mission by providing students with quality Christian education, Christ-centered homestay settings combined with character and spiritual development programs. There are many wonderful Christian schools here in Austin and the surrounding areas that we have partnered with, however, that is only one side of the equation and we can’t do this without you.
Join us, to help the new generation of Chinese students to “grow in wisdom and stature” and to transform their lives and the lives of millions more!
What does “hosting” mean . . .
At a basic level, the host family is matched with an international student and provides the student with a room, three healthy meals and transportation to / from school. Host families can also help students with school homework and involve them in family activities. What sets our mission apart from other international student agencies is the Homestay structure which allows the student to be “part of a family, not just part of a program”. Essentially, Homestay host families welcome a student into their home and make them part of the family for a period of time. It’s really intended to be more like fostering a child than housing a ‘semester abroad’ student.
The “money” part . . .
We appreciate both the heart our host families exhibit and the efforts they put into the student on a daily basis. We never want “hosting” to become a financial burden to a the host family. We provide a generous monthly stipend to the Homestay family along with a convenient reimbursement system for incidental expenses. In addition to the monthly stipend, Homestay host families are eligible to receive an annual performance bonus at the end of the school year. Call 512-850-6688 to learn more about becoming a host family and the financial support Premier Education Partners provides under the Homestay program.
Why become a host family . . .
As a Christian, you have likely given time, money & prayer to support meaningful causes. Now you have a unique opportunity to share your home and your faith with a young person from one of the largest and most relevant foreign countries in the world. By being Homestay host parents for a student from China, you have the opportunity to plant a seed of Christian faith and invest directly in someone’s life. A life that may grow up to influence their nation, or even the entire world.
But like our story, these students need a ‘missionary’ to help them and you can be that missionary right in your home!
One more story . . .
About 140 years ago, as part of an experimental program between China and the US, 54 American families hosted 120 students from China (then ruled by the Qing Dynasty). The average age of the students was 12. Although the governments decided to end the experiment 10 years later, those young children went on to become prominent figures in their respective disciplines – from scientists and engineers to ambassadors, physicians and educators. Over a century later, few descendants of the program participants would be able to cite the names of the host families, but the influence of those 54 American families is still evident in many parts of China today.
Join us, to help the new generation of Chinese students to “grow in wisdom and stature” and to transform their lives and the lives of millions more!
Blessings,
Ed Wu, Founder & CEO