Featured State: Michigan

The U.S. offers a wide variety of lifestyles, cultures, cuisines, cities, historic sites, and more. To help you and your students learn more about the different areas of the U.S., each month we will be featuring a different U.S. state where students are placed, and tell you what life in each state is like! 
 
This month's feature is Michigan - the "Great Lakes" state! 

Quick facts about Michigan

• Capital city: Lansing
• Size: 96,716 square miles (250,493 sq. km) - about the size of the United Kingdom!
• Population: 9.92 million
• Time zone: Eastern (UTC -5) in most of the state
• State flower: Apple blossom
• Michigan has the longest freshwater coastline in the world, and anywhere in the state, you're never more than 6 miles from a body of freshwater
• Michigan is known for its friendly, Midwestern attitude towards other people - very open and welcoming! 
• There are three distinct season that exchange students will get to experience: Warm summers with opportunities for outdoor activities like fishing, cool fall temperatures to jump into a pile of leaves, and snow sports in the winter.
• Michigan is close to Canada - another opportunity to add a stamp  to the passport.
• Michigan is home to many great CIEE Local Coordinators who greatly value students' experiences - and many host  themselves!

Featured school: Clarkston High School

Clarkston High School has a large variety of activities - something for everyone! Throughout the year, there are 28 sports teams that play, a 10,000 seat football stadium, full-featured television broadcast studio, 700 computers, 1,000 seat auditorium for plays and more. 

Christina, a world languages teacher at the school, says, "Clarkston High School embraces the culture that international students bring to the academic environment. International student experiences are highlighted throughout the school year with special events and celebrations of the diversity that they bring. Additionally, students in Clarkston High go above and beyond to include these international students in their day to day activities, helping them to feel like a regular part of our community. As an ESL teacher, I love learning from the exchange students and hearing about their different perspectives on the world, especially education. Plus, seeing excited international students watch snow fall from the sky for the first time NEVER gets old!"

CIEE students feel the same way! 

 ​"Clarkston High School is a great school because it has a welcoming environment, and everyone is willing to help the international students. There are a lot of opportunities for international  students, especially in career preparation and education. Lastly, international students have the chance to be in a clubs, which give students a chance to try something new and meet new friends."
​
- Sabrina, Brazil

---

Download our fact sheet about Michigan to share with your students & families!