We are in urgent need of Ríos intern host families next year

Dear WAPS Families,

For years, the Ríos/AMITY Spanish Teaching Internship program has been an important part of Winona Area Public Schools. These interns provide students with native-speaker support, cultural enrichment and opportunities to learn from people with different backgrounds and experiences. Their impact extends far beyond the Ríos program and helps strengthen our entire school community.

However, we have reached a critical point. Without additional host families, we will not be able to bring AMITY interns to Winona for the 2026-27 school year.

In the past, we have relied on a small group of generous families who opened their homes year after year. We are incredibly grateful for their support, but many of those families are understandably no longer able to continue hosting. While a few families initially expressed interest this year, circumstances have changed, and at this time we do not have any confirmed host families for next school year.

We are currently interviewing exceptional candidates, but we cannot officially accept or place any interns without confirmed host homes. If we are unable to secure hosts by May 24, we will need to pause the interview process and cancel the internship program for next year.

We understand that hosting can feel like a big commitment. To help make it more manageable, we are encouraging a few flexible options:

• Host for part of the year: Families can host for just one semester (approximately 3-5 months), which helps reduce the financial and time commitment.
• Help spread the word: Even if your family is not in a position to host, you may know someone who has an extra bedroom and would enjoy welcoming a new culture into their home.
• We are not looking for anything extravagant. Interns simply need a private bedroom, daily meals and a caring, supportive household that is excited to share this experience.

If you have questions or would like to learn more about hosting, please contact Ying Hou at 507-494-0865 or ying.hou@winona.k12.mn.us.

Thank you for considering how you might support this meaningful opportunity for students and our community.