Students from all over the world will be warmly welcomed into local families this month. Spending the school year with host families is an integral part of the experience of being an exchange student. For the student, spending time in the US, living with a local family, and learning a new culture as part of a family unit creates a unique situation that makes being an exchange student such a valuable experience.
There are also numerous benefits to the host family. If you’ve ever considering hosting an international student, we talked with representatives of various programs serving our area to answer questions you may have. We also spoke with several host families to get their input.
AFS-USA is one of the programs placing students locally. Laura Pierson, Senior Team Development Specialist for AFS, says: “Speaking from personal experience, the host family benefits by the relationship that is built with the student. Dinner table conversations about similarities and differences between cultures enrich and impact our world view. It is also fun to share the beauty of our state with a hosted student, families can share our own little corner of the world with someone new, and sometimes eyes are opened to the many beautiful parts of California that we are often too busy to appreciate. In many cases, lifelong bonds are created between exchange students and host siblings and the family is expanded. “
There are numerous programs that place international students with US families and several in Monterey/Santa Cruz Counties. It’s important to do your research but most have similar basic requirements.
You must be able to provide:
- A bed, not convertible or inflatable in nature; sharing a room with a sibling of the same gender close in age is fine
- Transportation to and from school
- Three quality meals per day
- A laundry facility to use
- A background criminal check is required for all adult family members within the household.
- Your house doesn’t need to be large and luxurious but it does need to be safe and inviting, and you should be willing to open up common areas such as your living room, kitchen, and yard.
Families can have small or teenage children at home, be empty nesters with adult children, or be coupled with no children. Single parents, same-gender couples, or traditional families are all welcome as host parents.
The length of hosting an international student can vary greatly, from one week to an entire academic year. AFS students, for instance, arrive in August before school begins and depart in late June. You should consider how much time you can and want to commit to hosting.
For those who can’t make a commitment of many months, there are programs that offer shorter stays. These programs are usually held in the summer. Monterey Bay Parent Magazine publisher Andrea Breznay hosted a student from China for two weeks several years ago. The Chinese student was in the US for a language immersion program and spent so much time in classes and group activities, that she actually spent very little time in her temporary home. In other situations, the student becomes very much a part of family life.
Students arrive with their own spending money for social and school activities, clothes, etc. As a host family, you will not need to provide spending money or an allowance. Your student will also come with secondary medical insurance so that, in an emergency, the student can be treated as soon as possible. There is also a 24-hour support phone number in case of any emergency.
Bob and Anne Herendeen live in Prunedale and have been married fifty years this year. The couple has three daughters and has hosted five exchange students over the years. When asked what the “best” part of hosting students was, Anne is quick to answer:
“It is really hard to think of just one “best,” as there are so many. I believe passionately in a more just and peaceful world (the original mission of the ambulance drivers who founded AFS), and their vision of accomplishing this through student exchange and citizen diplomacy. To share cultures and grow to love another person from another part of the world changes the way you look at things. This is true for the students and for the members of their families, both here and abroad. I loved talking about the stereotypes and perceptions that the kids came with, as well as ones we may have had about their home countries. I have more of an understanding of issues around the world.“
Anne goes on to reassure potential hosts that “AFS has a wonderful support system for you and your hosted student, so don’t be afraid to use it if misunderstandings or stumbling blocks arise.” This is true of all exchange programs. Support is readily available and host families have resources to help them each step of the way.
For more information about the mission and work of AFS-USA, visit www.afsusa.org.