While most Ridgefield High School students are targeting the end of the school year and the start of Summer, we at Ridgefield A Better Chance (“RABC”) are planning for the upcoming school year and welcoming new scholars to our community. We are looking for families to volunteer as host families to our incredible scholars.
What is a RABC Host Family?
One of the key elements of RABC is our host family program. These young women leave their families to come to Ridgefield as freshmen and live together with the RABC Resident Director and Resident Academic Director. They are highly motivated students with a rigorous academic and extracurricular schedule. Our host families are part of the support network for the scholars. Host families generally pair with a scholar for all four of her years at RHS and they open their homes and hearts to their individual scholar to help ensure she gets the non-academic connection to members of the community and provide a family that is on her side as she navigates her high school career and journey to college. Practically, the scholars stay with their host families approximately one weekend and one Sunday per month during the school year. At that time the host families are responsible for supporting their scholar (whether extracurricular activities, meals, social engagements). But host families often provide a listening ear in between those official visits, enjoy the occasional celebratory dinner or ice cream between visits, and attend their scholars’ extracurricular events or performances.
What are the requirements to be a host family?
The main criteria for being a host family is to be patient, empathetic, and welcoming to the scholars, but a host family also should:
- Have the ability to drive the scholar to/from events on host family weekends (if you don’t already have RHS kids, some events, like games and plays can run late even on weekends)
- Live in or close to Ridgefield because the host family program is meant to foster a greater sense of the scholars’ belonging in this community.
- Believe in the mission of RABC, appreciate the gifts that these girls bring to our community, and live that support in a truly real and rewarding way.
What do our host families say?
From TB: “We are young empty nesters who raised sons. Hosting two RABC scholar daughters has enriched our lives. We are experiencing teen girls which means getting prom dresses altered, pre-prom photos, and hosting a sweet 16 birthday party. Mentoring young women who are working hard on both their education and growing up in a complex world is an important job. It’s nice to have our house busy a few times a month with teenagers!”
From LG: “Hosting a scholar has been incredibly rewarding for our entire family. We have enjoyed the opportunity to learn from our scholar, exchanging our family traditions and to create unforgettable memories together.”
What’s next? If this sounds like an opportunity for your family, please click here and complete our Host family application. We will be in touch soon!