Ellington

Mountain Arts Community Center is looking for host families on Signal Mountain to house two to three of the seven Costa Rican high school students attending the MACC’s third annual Music Festival June 11-15.

“I think it would be very nice for families whose children have taken some Spanish and have children close to [the Costa Rican high school students’] ages,” said Sandy McRea, who had three students stay in her home last summer. “I thoroughly enjoyed it and will do it again next year.”

Knowledge of Spanish is helpful but not necessary, she said.

The students will need housing from Sunday, June 10 to around noon Saturday, June 16, and will need transportation to Signal Mountain Middle/High School each day at 9 a.m. and to be picked up after 4:30 p.m.

“They were delightful young men, very polite and easy to get along with, and they took care of themselves,” said McRea of the students she housed last year. “They were very open to trying new things; the biggest thing they wanted to do was to see a deer.”

Activities are planned for the students for at least three evenings during the week, said MACC Director Barb Storm.

Conducter Joseph Lee arranged for nine students from Costa Rica to attend last year’s camp, which was such a success Storm said they decided to invite more students this summer. She expects this year’s camp — now called Signal Mountain Music Festival as opposed to the more limited moniker of MACC String Camp — will be even bigger than the last.

“We wanted to set the name so it’s established, and we’ll open it up to winds and percussion next year,” said Storm.

Open to rising sixth-graders through high school seniors, auditions for the festival will be held Sunday, June 10.

The MACC is soliciting donations to offset the cost of the camp, which amounts to around $7,000. The cost per student is $150, and the MACC offers partial scholarships to those who cannot afford tuition.

“We appreciate any and all support we can get,” said Storm. “We’re trying to keep a very, very high-quality camp at a very low, affordable price.”

Cultural exchange:

If interested in hosting Costa Rican high school students while they attend Signal Mountain Music Festival June 11-15, contact Barb Storm at 886-1959 or Sandy McRea at 886-1479. To make a donation for the scholarship fund, make check payable to MACC with “music festival” in the memo line and send to MACC, 809 Kentucky Ave.

To apply for a scholarship to the festival, write a letter expressing your need to Barb Storm at the MACC.