Homestay VS Tuckshop

While not a system update, we thought you might enjoy this mildly amusing story about the surging Homestay industry in Brisbane. One of our neighbours recently came over to visit as she had heard that we were developing a Homestay Network. She was very interested to enquire about the possibilities of Homestay and said that she found out about it through a dispute at a local school. Apparently this “dispute” had involved something of a mass exodus of the school’s tuckshop lady staff after word got around that they could each host a single international student in Homestay for the same amount that the school was paying them to prepare the lunches for 500+ children each week. Needless to say it can’t have been a very difficult decision, and from all reports these placements are doing very well. AHN would like to apologise in advance to any other schools with an underpaid tuckshop staff. Viva la revolution!

Update - Mapping Tools

One of the great things about system testing is that it gives us the opportunity to actually try things out in practice that up until now have been only theory. And while we’re still in the early stages of testing, we can already report that the promised online mapping system for Students is going to be a fantastic feature. Not only will Students be able to get an early look at the region surrounding their placement, but the map itself has customisable place marks with Supervisors and Managers able to populate their region full of helpful information. For example, they might like to highlight the best bus stops and bus codes to get to education providers, or give directions to local shops and cinemas, or even point out which is the best local pub! There’s really no limit to what can be added, and all a Student ever needs to do to check the map is log in to their profile from any computer with internet access. Overall, this is another great way for Supervisors to develop and own their specified region on the Australian Homestay Network.

System Update - Feb 2008

Apologies once again for the length of time since our last update, but our focus has been on development and planning for our July launch. More regular updates will follow in the next few weeks and months, so please keep checking back!

January 2008 has seen development of the AHN system shift into high gear. We now have a full working model of the system and are beginning the first of several rounds of extensive in-house testing. Over the next few weeks we will be putting the system through its paces to make sure it can handle the many variables associated with Homestay to our satisfaction. From 1st March we will then begin official system testing with our foundation members to ensure that we can meet their specific regional requirements prior to launch.

The system itself is looking fantastic, and its overall simplicity, flexibility and ease of use have so far exceeded our expectations. Supervisors are able to completely manage every aspect of their homestay operations from any computer with normal internet capabilities. There are fully customisable pages specific to each organisation, with event planning and bulk messaging features built into each Supervisor’s access. Put simply, AHN is not just a great way to coordinate your Homestays, but also a way to own your specified region and control it your way to the best of your ability.

Other updates

• We've completed our Homestay Host training module and assessment, which is currently under final review
• Also under final review are our policies, procedures and supervisors manual, which will all be integrated into the site alerts and emails by the time of launch
• Student orientation is complete and is being uploaded onto the Student section, where Students will be able to read up on Australian lifestyle and customs prior to leaving their home country
• Agent functions have now been built into the site (where applicable), with agents able to create new Students themselves and receive carbon copies of all relevant correspondence
• Site frequently asked questions have been completed specific to each level of access, and will continue to be updated with questions received after launch

More to follow as we get closer to launch!