According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, over 500,000 foreign exchange students studied in the United States in 2006. Hosting one of these students can give your family the experience of learning about another culture without leaving home. Opening your home to a student also fosters intercultural relations, gives a teenager or young adult the experience of living abroad and provides you with a friend who lives in another country.
Step 1
Call your local school district to find out which foreign exchange agencies they have worked with in the past. While it is possible to use a different organization, you will have less paperwork to contend with if the school is already familiar with the agency that you choose.
Step 2
Contact the agencies that the school recommends. The agency will give you the name and telephone number of your school district's local coordinator. Meet with this person, who acts as a liaison between the host family, the student and the national or regional agency.
Step 3
Begin the application process. The Department of State requires that host families complete an application form, submit to a background check and have an in-home interview and orientation with the local coordinator for the agency. Provide the agency with the documentation required, including a list of personal references.
Step 4
Work with your local coordinator in choosing the student who will best fit in with your family. You will be able to decide whether you would prefer a boy or a girl, as well as which country your student comes from. Look for a student whose interests are similar to those that your family shares.
Step 5
Communicate with your student once the school district has approved him, recommends the Education First Foundation for Foreign Study. Begin forming a relationship with him before he leaves his home country. Find out what his favorite foods are, whether he has any allergies or strong dislikes, what his favorite color is and what he would like to see and do in your general area of the country. Tell him about your home, family and city.
Step 6
Prepare your student's bedroom for her. If possible, decorate her room with her favorite colors. Make a welcome sign and hang it on the wall. Set aside extra pillows, blankets and towels for her. Make her a small basket with a journal, photo album or small bottles of toiletries.
Step 7
Pick up your student at the airport and welcome him as a member of the family. International Student Exchange recommends not treating him as a guest. Show him where the dishes and linens are and encourage him to make himself at home. Give him a chore or two and treat him as if he were your own child.
Tips and Warnings
- Speak slowly and be patient in the early weeks of your exchange. Your student will be jet-lagged and may have trouble communicating in English at first. Contact your local coordinator if you have any problems during the course of your student's stay. She has been trained to work closely with exchange students and their host families, and will have suggestions for getting through any issues that you may face.
References
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Student and Exchange Visitor Information System
- Education First Foundation for Foreign Study: How to Host a Student
- "Department of State Guildelines for Exchange Visitor Programs"; U.S. Department of State; 2007
- "Host Family Handbook and Orientation Guide"; International Student Exchange; 2007
