NOD Voices - May 2013

Nacel Open Door Network Voices

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In This Issue:Feature Story:

* Keeping up with NOD

* A New Look For

Nacel Open Door

- Logos

- Updated Materials

Apps., & Docs.

* Coming Soon to a

Web Near You

* Follow Us!

Tidbits:

* CultureNotes ~ Norway!

MCR Connections

Advisors’ Angle

Introducing . . .

* Student Bloggers

nod vOICESNEWSLETTERS INTRODUCTION

I n an effort to improve communication and support for the various members of the international Nacel Open Door, Inc. (NOD)

community, you will now be receiving a quarterly newsletter from the National Office.

These newsletters will serve as a tool to share our collective passion for international understanding and language education. They will contain stories of student success, industry updates, alerts of important changes, and an exchange of cultural information. We will share updates from our many programs and introduce you to individual members of the vast NOD community (this month, we introduce you to the Private School Program Student Bloggers). Our advisors will also offer advice on common student and Host Family issues.

This new initiative is part of something much bigger: an entire rebranding effort, discussed in depth on the next page. NOD is excited to share with you a few changes we’ve made in an attempt to better serve you - our Local Representatives, Coordinators, and Regional Program Directors - as well as our Foreign Partners, students, and Host Families. We hope you can share in our excitement!

We hope to provide you with the highest-quality information and service, and we welcome your ideas and requests. We look forward to sharing the many voices of NOD with you.


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Over the past several months, Nacel Open Door, Inc. (NOD)

has been taking a closer look at who we are and how we serve our Host Families, students, Local Representatives, Foreign Partners, schools, and all others who support us. What we learned was our image didn’t truly convey who we are as an organization and our strength in the industry. To better present ourselves and help convey the connection between our various programs, we’ve taken on a multiphase rebranding effort.

Phase 1 – LogosThe first step in our rebranding was to update our logos to better unify our variety of programs and establish a consistent color palate. Both the logos and the colors were developed based

on existing logos, styles, and colors utilized across the Nacel International School System. The new NOD and program logos resemble a seal. Inside the seal is a globe representing our worldwide

partnerships. Atop of the globe is a book with rays of knowledge streaming out of it to signify the understanding everyone involved in the exchange gains through their experience with NOD.

Phase 2 – Updated MaterialsWe are currently redesigning our materials to reflect the changes made in Phase 1. This means you will begin seeing newly formatted documents. Rest assured that other than making all of our documents look the same, the actual information on the forms has not changed. Phase 3 – New WebsiteThe final phase will be the complete overhaul of our website! This will be a fresh and unified site that offers so much more than our current site. (See the centerfold for details!)

As we move forward with the next phases of rebranding, you can expect better support material from the National Office

A NEW LOOK FOR NACEL OPEN DOOR

Welcome to the Advisors’ Angle! In this first issue of the newsletter, we’d like to introduce the Advising Department. In the next issues of the Advisors’ Angle, we will discuss some of the challenges that international students face and some tips for helping students and Host Families prepare to meet those challenges.

Our team of advisors brings years of experience to Nacel Open Door, Inc. (NOD). Sandra Morgan is the Director of Student Advising working with AYP. Sara Lien is the Student & Host Family Counselor for PSP and SPP. Christa Shannon is the International Education Administrator working with PSP, AYP, and CBYX. Alena Stewart is the International Student Advisor for AYP and SPP and Carmen Pucheu is an Advising Assistantfor AYP.

Each member of the Advising Department works with students and Host Families to assist and support them as they adjust to the various changes and challenges of

life as an international student. We work closely with students and families to help them understand and resolve situations conflicts.

These include situations where students struggle with academic performance, program expectations or cultural adjustment, as well as dealing with a wide array of emotions that are all normal and understandable when traveling so far from home. We encourage Local Reps and Coordinators to let us know when our support is needed with students and Host Families.

We do our best to assist everyone in becoming a healthy, happy part of the NOD program. We rely on our Local Reps and Coordinators for your valuable insight and support, as well as your thoughtful communication with students and Host Families. We welcome hearing your thoughts or concerns as they arise. Please feel free to contact the Advising Department at: [email protected].

ADvISORS’ ANgLE: INTRODUCTION


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Information-sharing across the globe has never been as easy as it is today, and we plan to keep up.

In order to better communicate with our worldwide community of employees, Foreign Partners, staff, Host Families, and students – across multiple media and in a more timely fashion – Nacel Open Door, Inc. (NOD) is expanding our social media presence. You will now have multiple resources for information about our company, our programs, and our students!

Blogs A blog is like an online journal. It is similar to a website, but it is more interactive and is usually updated more often. Readers can leave comments on the content of a blog and start a conversation with anyone else who wants to contribute.

The Academic Year Program (AYP), the Private School Program (PSP), and St. Paul Preparatory School (SPP) offer blogs to share updates and resources and to make announcements

quickly and easily. The blogs can also build community within programs. Host Families and students can learn from each others’ experiences, and NOD Student Advisors offer advice and support throughout the year. Facebook

Nacel Open Door, AYP, and SPP are on Facebook.

Facebook offers an opportunity to share quick announcements, advice, and links to relevant information. Host Families, students, and Local Reps have the opportunity to interact by asking questions, giving suggestions, and sharing their own experiences.

TwitterAYP, PSP, and SPP have Twitter accounts to share news and udates, Retweet

relevant information, and share cultural resources. The Twitter feeds for AYP and PSP can also be found on the home page of each respective program’s blog.

Monthly Contact Reports (MCRs) are the lifeline linking Natural Parents to their child who is living halfway around the world. Nacel Open Door’s (NOD’s) Foreign Partners (FPs) use these monthly reports to communicate with the student’s Natural Parents and provide them information about how their son or daughter is doing in school, what activities they are specifically taking part in, if they are enjoying their experience, and generally how much fun they are having!

You can help share news about each teen’s experience with their Natural Parent by providing as much detail as you can regarding what the student is doing throughout their stay each time you fill out an MCR. By elaborating on how much fun “John” had at the prom, and including a statement such as “John had the time of his life getting dressed up in a tuxedo for the first time, gathering at a friend’s house with six other couples for pictures beforehand, dining with

his date and the rest of their friends at a local restaurant before dancing the night away with all his friends” paints a brighter picture for FPs to share with “John’s” Natural Parents, than simply saying “prom was good.” Please help us continue providing the high quality communications with our FPs that NOD has become known for. Your responses on the MCRs are a vital part in this process!

MCRs KEEP FAMILIES CONNECTED

FOLLOW US! NOD IS ON SOCIAL MEDIAFollow us!

Each social media platform makes it easy to stay updated. The home pages of the blogs feature a “subscribe” option to have new posts sent directly to your email. Facebook has a “Like” button, and Twitter has a “Follow” option, both to send contact directly to your newsfeed.

Blogs:AYP: www.nacelayp.wordpress.comPSP: www.nacelpsp.wordpress.comSPP: www.blog.stpaulprep.org

Facebook:NOD: www.facebook.com/NacelOpenDoorIncAYP: www.facebook.com/NacelOpenDoorAYPSPP: www.facebook.com/stpaulprep

Twitter:AYP: www.twitter.com/nacelaypPSP: www.twitter.com/nacelpspSPP: www.twitter.com/stpaulprep


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COming Soon! With the launch of the new Nacel Open Door, Inc. (NOD)

website fast approaching, we want to give you a quick glace of what’s in store!

• First and most exciting will be that all NOD programs will be accessible from the main page. This may seem like it should be a given, but as many of you know, our current site does not provide this ease of access to all NOD programs. Now this new feature will eliminate any guesswork on how to find the information you are looking for. It will simply be right there on the home page! You will be able to read a little bit about what each program offers or click on a link to go to another page, where in-depth information will be available.

• CultureNotes are a short description about a specific country and its culture, in addition to offering basic demographic information. You can use this information to help your Host Families decide which student might fit the most naturally into their family. CultureNotes also aim to highlight some of the cultural differences Host Families might encounter in order to help them better prepare for the cultural-exchange experience. CultureNotes are not a new tool. NOD has been using them since 2010, but they have not been accessible from the website before. In 2012, NOD added these CultureNotes to the Academic Year Program blog. After seeing how popular they have been on the blog, we are excited to make CultureNotes available through the website

You can look forward to a sharp, fresh website that reflects a key goal of our rebranding efforts: to better present ourselves - with current, relevant information - and help convey the connection between our various programs.

Coming Soon To A Website Near You


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Dear Nacel Representatives,

I am very happy to announce that we are in the process of redesigning the Nacel Open Door, Inc. (NOD) website. This will be a fresh and unified site, offering links to all of our programs and opportunities directly from the home page. The look of the site will follow that of the recent rebranding campaign, with our new logos and colors prominently displayed throughout the site. The new site will highlight the strength and variety of NOD’s program offerings, as well as give viewers quick and easy access to the information they seek most often. There will also be re-directs from our current websites that will seamlessly take our audience directly to pages they may already be familiar with. The new website will roll out in stages. First, we will be launching in mid-May with information on the background and philosophy of Nacel Open Door, information on hosting, and NOD program pages. Program pages will include the Academic Year Program, Private School Program, Short Term Programs, and Nacel International School System. The second phase will be to update the St. Paul Preparatory School (SPP) website, which will be linked to the main NOD site. Once the initial phase is launched, work will begin on SPP’s site. Both websites should be completely updated by the time our fall students arrive.

We hope that this new and updated website will be a solid tool that will support your recruiting efforts as well as make information gathering easier for students, families, schools, and communities. We also hope that it will be a site that you will be proud to be associated with. If you have feedback on what you would like to see, please feel free to forward that to me at any time. Although the initial launch will happen this spring, it will be a work in progress that will have frequent additions and updates.

Best Regards,

Rae LenwayNacel Open Door Director of Operations

Coming Soon To A Website Near You


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Board of DirectorsDr. Frank Tarsitano, PhD – ChairmanMr. Steve Murphy – SecretaryMs. Alice Murphy – TreasurerMr. Gerard AvundoMr. Arnold Franco Mr. Francois Jean HucMs. Hilda Jaffe

Senior Management TeamDr. Frank Tarsitano, PhD – CEO & PresidentMr. Richard Banasikowski, MA – Vice President Mr. Jean Burdin – President, Nacel InternationalMr. Roy S. Nilsson – CFO

Advisory BoardMr. Jean Burdin – President, Nacel InternationalMr. Pierre Coudry – Interclass BrazilMs. Toni Cowles – Retired, Lauder Institute at the Wharton School, UPENNMr. Jaeho Eohm – International Language Forum, KoreaDr. Abraham Ho, DA – Nacel AsiaMs. Marie Jose Huc – CLC

NACEL OPEN DOOR EXECUTIVES

This newsletter is a publication of Nacel Open Door, Inc. For more information on NOD programs and opportunities, please call 800-622-3553, or visit our website at www.nacelopendoor.org.

Newsletter Production Staff: Director of Operations: Rae LenwayDirector of Marketing & Communications: Shannon RauschMarketing Communications Assistant: Karina Rajtar

Nacel Open Door, Inc. (NOD) offers multiple programs

in the United States and abroad to meet a variety of cultural and academic goals for all students.

These programs range in duration from one week to multiple years. The focus of some programs is a complete cultural immersion and exchange, while others are focused more on college preparation.

PRIvATE SCHOOL PROgRAM (PSP)Students on PSP are working hard to finish the year on a strong note. They are studying for finals, completing service hours, and making sure everything is checked off their end-of-year “to do” lists and that graduation requirements are being met.

Juniors continue to study for and take the SAT, and our 164 seniors are receiving college acceptances – many to their first-choice schools.

Many students went on trips over spring break to visit colleges or to relax with their Host Families. Some Local Representatives are working to organize year-end picnics and graduation parties for their students. Some students attended prom or are planning to do so and have begun looking for dresses or tuxedos. Soon, they will be arranging to have items sent home and to sell back textbooks.

KEEPINg UP WITH NOD PROgRAMS


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ACADEMIC YEAR PROgRAM (AYP)In addition to reviewing student applications and vetting Host Families for the fall semester, AYP is making many updates and improvements this spring.

Documents and handbooks are getting makeovers to match the new brand image and to create more consistency across programs, and improvements are being made to the National Office database for easier document tracking.

In addition, program administra-tors are preparing Pre-Departure Orientation materials to be sent out this month. Updates to the student application are also being made. These will go into effect beginning with January applicants.

Most notable is the new Match Abroad packet for students. This packet will include more information about the Host Family, Local Rep, and host community to help students better prepare for their time in the United States.

SHORT TERM PROgRAMS (STP)As AYP, PSP, and SPP wind down for the school year and begin looking toward the fall semester, the Short Term Programs are preparing for the start of their exchange season.

Students from China, Taiwan, France, Spain, and Germany will arrive in the United States for anywhere from one to four weeks during the summer. While in the U.S., students will participate in ESL programs, tutorial programs with groups of four students, or immersion homestay programs. Each program will allow students to practice their English language and immerse themselves in the culture of the U.S.

Short Term Program Coordinators are looking forward to a great summer!

NACEL INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SYSTEM (NISS)NISS is currently moving forward with the second phase of the Antalya, Turkey school opening with the addition of a high school program. The school system also plans to open four additional schools in Turkey with Our Partner, Final.

ST. PAUL PREPARATORY SCHOOL (SPP)SPP, a member of NISS, has had an eventful 2012-2013 academic year.

The math team placed 3rd in the St. Paul City division, and the robotics team completed another successful season building a working robot. The Art Department has seen numerous successes as well. Three SPP students placed in the 2012-2013 Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards. Three students received awards for the Dream@50 Art

Competition honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; their artwork will be featured on billboards and transportation in the coming months. Finally, three students were selected as part of the “Best 100” of more than 800 entries in the Les Farrington Best 100 Juried Art Exhibit. Ignacy of Poland went on to win a Merit Prize among the 100 finalists.

SPP participated again this year in the Guthrie Theatre’s “Schools on Stage” program, in which students worked with local artists and performed their own original piece of theatre on March 27 at the professional venue. The school is also piloting an internship program this semester in which students intern in local businesses for real-world experience.

Remember! Your Brazilian students need to legalize their transcripts before heading home


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Nacel Open Door National Office

380 Jackson Street, Suite 200St. Paul, MN 55101 USA

T: 651-686-0080800-622-3553

F: [email protected]

www.facebook.com/NacelOpenDoorInc

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nta

ct US

CULTURENOTES INTRODUCINg...STUDENT BLOggERSOne of the purposes of the program blogs is to allow students the opportunity to share their experiences in the United States. They are encouraged to submit stories and photos as often as they would like.

One unique opportunity currently available to Private School Program (PSP) students – and soon to be offered to Academic Year Program students – is the Student Blogger internship.

Student Bloggers apply at the beginning of the semester by submitting a sample blog post. Those selected are expected to contribute to the blog at least one time each month for a semester, sharing their international encounters first-hand.

The PSP Student Bloggers for the spring semester are 1. Yunwoo of South Korea 2. Myung Jin “Lucy” of South Korea, and 3. Yiwei “Amanda” of China. This is Yunwoo’s third semester as a Blogger. Read their posts at www.nacelpsp.wordpress.com.

NORWAY: Norwegians are given a lot of independence from a young age and are encouraged to share their opinions and participate in discussions.

In Norway, many rules are regarded more as guidelines, and most are open for discussion. Norwegian parents listen to their children when they disagree and consider what they have to say.

Consequences are uncommon in Norway. It would be unlikely for a Norwegian teenager to be punished for breaking a rule or for neglecting to complete chores. Instead, parents might enforce stricter guidelines in the future. For instance, a Norwegian teen who regularly breaks curfew might end up with a stricter, earlier curfew.

By the time they reach high school, Norwegians are basically considered to be adults, and they are expected to be responsible for themselves. High Schools are structured more like a university, with students taking their own initiative to reach end-of-semester expectations rather than receiving regular assignments. Most teenagers in Norway also begin learning to manage their money with a debit card and either a weekly allowance or a part-time job.

Overall, Norwegians are generally casual and laid-back. They don’t like to be rushed, but they value punctuality

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NOD Voices - May 2013

Documents

Transcript of NOD Voices - May 2013