For more information on each
state, click below:
Regional Presence:
Au Pair in America has 17 Community Counselors in a 5 state area,
Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas and Missouri. Approximately
400 families are serviced throughout the region. There is a wide
range of experiences available to Au Pairs who come to this region
as our Northern states provide many possibilities to explore the
great outdoors as well as offering a wide range of other cultural
benefits. Au Pairs placed in Illinois will avail themselves of the
benefits of living close to the third largest city in the United
States and have access to excellent transportation hubs for travel
to all destinations in the United States.
Quarterly Message:
July 2008
Illinois: Now that summer is here, the 13 Illinois au pair clusters are enjoying outdoor activities. All summer long, au pairs can bike, skate or stroll along the lakeshore path beside Lake Michigan to enjoy the scenery. Grant Park offers free summer music festivals, and the au pairs can picnic in the park while listening to a wide range of music during their free time in the city. Other summer activities include a day trip to the Indiana Dunes, July 4th celebrations, parades, picnics, and visits to the many activities at Navy Pier.
All Illinois clusters are invited to see a Chicago White Sox game in July, and many of the au pairs who live in the western suburbs will enjoy family trips to the Kane County Cougars baseball games. On the North Shore of Chicago the Ravinia Festival offers a wide range of world class music and dance concerts with free entrance when a student ID is presented. Another perennial favorite for those wanting high adventure roller coaster rides and water park fun is a trip to Six Flags Great America Amusement Park in Gurnee, IL. Discounted tickets are ordered for au pairs.
In September there will be an area-wide Scavenger Hunt that starts at the historical hall of Union Station in Chicago and ends up at Portillos, a favorite Chicago eatery. Au Pairs enjoy Chicago-style pizza, hot dogs, and shakes as they wait to hear which teams win prizes at the end of the day.
Kansas: Summer activities include a trip to Worlds of Fun amusement park, a visit to the Kansas City Zoo, and a show at Starlight Amphitheatre. Summer will end with a host family and au pair picnic. The au pairs will bring a favorite food from their home countries.
Missouri: Au Pairs in St. Louis are active this summer as they enjoy picnics and hikes and once again plan to walk in the July 4th parade. September will be apple picking at Eckert’s Farm.
Wisconsin: The Wisconsin au pairs will take a tour of the Miller Brewery, a famous landmark in the city of Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Cluster summer picnic includes au pairs and host families with the children delighting in the water balloon toss at the end of the day. September is the month for the popular Annual Host Mother/Au Pair Luncheon.
Minnesota: Further North in Minnesota, the Minneapolis cluster will enjoy a trip to the Minnesota Twins baseball game and will enjoy canoeing, picnicking and hiking in the long awaited summer months. The St. Paul cluster will take their Annual Canoe Trip down the St. Croix River, stopping for a picnic and a swim along the way. The Minnesota State Fair, one of the biggest state fairs in the country, takes place in August and is a perennial favorite for au pairs in both clusters.
On-going Childcare training:
Special emphasis will be placed on outdoor safety while children are playing around water and swimming pools. Bike safety and wearing helmets will also be reviewed, along with caring for children in the hot weather, applying sunscreen, and remembering to take drinks along when going to the park.
Regional Representative:
Pat Jacob has been a Community Counselor since 1987 and actively
recruited host families in the Chicago area to the new idea of hosting
an Au Pair. The program became an instant success in the area and
Pat has since hired many additional counselors as part of the Chicago
team. She currently supervises a cluster in the western suburbs
of Chicago.
In 1994 Pat was the first Regional Representative appointed to the
program for a 5 state Midwest area. In these capacity Pat interviews,
trains and supports the area counselors, realigns cluster boundaries
and supports marketing efforts in the region. She also arranges
and facilitates formal and informal meetings for the region's counselors.
In 1998 Pat also assumed the position of Field Training Consultant
and works closely with head office management staff to coordinate
on-going field training opportunities. Pat authors training materials
and leads the new counselor training session at the annual Community
Counselor Conference.
Raised and educated in Dublin, Ireland with a background in business
studies she has lived in Europe and traveled extensively. As a result
she feels she has a much greater understanding of the challenges
involved in cross-cultural exchanges. Pat is the mother of a married
son in Boston and a daughter in Chicago.
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