As someone who has hosted over a dozen students for short-term summer stays and an academic year, I often am asked, “Why would you host an exchange student?” The short answer is “Why wouldn’t I host an exchange student?”
The Longer Answer
Years ago, my husband, Allan, and I were about to become empty nesters, with our youngest daughter going off to college, when we were introduced to two exchange students in my sister-in-law’s group of students. During a weekend visit, we had the opportunity to speak with each student individually. Time flew by - we spent nearly a delightful hour with each one. Those kids were respectful and eager to engage with someone who showed genuine interest in them and why they wanted to experience an exchange year in the United States. Students are here for 10 months (either an academic year) or a semester.
During the ride home, I looked at Allan and said, “We need to host a student this year!” and he said, “Yes, we do.” I wish I could them for our conversations that led us to apply! They did us a great favor, and they changed our lives. We made the click of a lifetime, applied to host, and selected our first exchange student!
Students Gather Around My House for a Goodbye Party for Alana, a student who stayed with us for a semester
How did our lives change?
Over the years, we’ve gained seven international daughters. We learned about each student, her family, her extended family, her culture, her friends, and her plans for her future. We made a lot of meals and memories. The students shared different ways of preparing meals with the same ingredients we have here (so fascinating!) In exchange, we passed along our cherished holiday traditions during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. We introduced them to our extended families, neighbors, and friends, and hosted our students’ friends for sleepovers and pre-prom festivities if our girl was going to prom that year. We chatted about how the college and university experiences differ from country to country. Each year we hosted a student, we learned and loved more than we would have if we had not hosted a student. Each year we hosted a student, the happiest day was the day she arrived, and the saddest day was the day she left.
Hosting isn't just for empty nesters. I encourage you to consider hosting while you have a young family and for several reasons:
- There are no one-way life lessons. When you bring an international student into your home and life, everyone expands their education, language comprehension, and cultural awareness. Not only will your child enhance their cultural awareness and deepen their language centers.
- In letters to prospective host families, our students mention that they have younger siblings or younger cousins, and they would enjoy living with a host family with children. For only children, staying in a home with another child is an opportunity to get a "bonus sibling."
- An increased cultural awareness. Host families are excited to expose their children to different traditions, cultures, and lifestyles, and to teach them about the larger world, outside of their bubble.
- Not only do parents benefit from having an extra set of hands around younger siblings, and many exchange students serve as role models. Each host family shared with me how helpful their exchange son or daughter was, and how glad they were that they decided to host when they did.
When these host parents clicked the link to apply to host one of our students, they made the click of a lifetime! You'll make a high school student’s dream come true. Your family gets to give and receive. When you host an exchange student, you open your heart, home, and family to them, showing them what is possible. We do this for our children, certainly! When you host an exchange student while you have young children, you also open the world up for your children.
Before a student is considered for the World Heritage program, they are carefully screened by overseas offices. Students are selected based on their high academic standing. They are good-natured and adaptable manners, a curiosity, and a sense of adventure.
What Are The Requirements For Host Families?
Our volunteer host families provide three daily meals and a place to sleep and study. Students and their natural parents are responsible for the flight, health insurance, and spending money. World Heritage Student Exchange Programs is one of the few exchange agencies that the United States Department of State trusts to place scholarship students. Each year, World Heritage offers North American families the opportunity to host girls and boys, ages 15 to 18, from Europe, Asia, Africa, the Pacific, Canada, and Mexico.
Please email at erin.kalbarczyk@gmail.com, or go ahead and make that click of a lifetime and apply to host by August 31: https://host.world-heritage.org/
