Chicago, IL — The Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students (CSFES) is alerting Chicago residents to what it calls a “bogus showcase” coming to the city this October: the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) Annual Conference.
This year’s theme is “Gratitude”, but CSFES says CSIET’s track record shows little of it—especially toward parents and students in crisis. The nonprofit points to the case of Spanish parents Fernando and Mercedes of Spain who flew to Ellensburg, Washington after fears for their daughter’s safety, only to receive a cold, dismissive written response from CSIET’s Executive Director, Chris Page.
“CSIET is not a regulator—it’s a club that protects its own,” said CSFES Director Danielle Grijalva. “Chicago should know this conference will not be about real student safety, no matter what the brochures claim.”
CSFES has documented thousands of cases where international exchange students suffered neglect or abuse, and warns that events like CSIET’s conference are more about networking than protecting youth. /// CSFES
Contact:
Danielle Grijalva, Director
Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students (CSFES)
Dgrijalva@csfes.org | (760) 583.9593| www.csfes.org