keeping it simple:
We highly recommend hosting an exchange student. Hear about our adventure, our favorite hosting partners, keeping the peace, and our advice for day-to-day life.
WHY HOST?
If you have the room in your home and wanderlust in your heart, you should definitely host. What’s the cost? What’s in it for you? A host family provides daily food, a safe place to live, and a quiet place to study. It’s another mouth to feed, but it’s also one more to share your life with. It’s a young person who is hungry to experience things through your eyes and learn about an entirely different location. It’s a cultural exchange, quite literally. You share your world with them, and they share a part of theirs with you!
CHOOSING THE RIGHT COMPANY
With so many different organizations offering students a once-in-a-lifetime trip abroad, you will need to decide the right fit for you. We relied heavily on past reviews, but ultimately, in our first year of hosting, we chose EF. As with anything else, there were positive and negative factors of EF. Our student was kind hearted, but when we needed assistance, there was none to be found. Our coordinator had life-altering circumstances and the company was unable to meet the needs of the many host families. Ultimately, I think EF grew too fast. Though I would host with them again, I would carefully consider other options and their local leadership before jumping in. We can say with confidence that YFU has a long history of positive relationships and outcomes. We have family who has hosted 12 separate times with YFU! AYA is extremely in depth with their student and family vetting. Though there aren’t as many support options for aya in Texas, we do admire this company as they do a thorough job of preparing families before the adventure. ASSE is our current favorite. This year, we are hosting with them and every step with them has been full of support and encouragement. Hopefully, that will continue to be the case as the year continues on!
GIVE PEACE A CHANCE
Treat your student like one of the family. This is easier said than done. With good intentions, we welcome a student and show them kindness. But whether your student stays for a Welcome Month, a Semester, or for the School Year, life will happen. When they first arrive, they are inundated with information and new culture. Constantly translating every word is exhausting! As they settle in and you develop a routine, you will get to know one another well. Living in close proximity will do that. Share your expectations with them and be clear. Help with chores? Curfew? Extracurricular activities? These are all important things to discuss and possibly even continue discussing. If you have a concern, speak to them about it with respect. Life isn’t perfect; we aren’t either! As you become more comfortable with each other, remember to keep your lines of communication open. If you do have an issue and you need help resolving it, reach out to your coordinator for help. They are there to be your resource. They want to help. Hosting isn’t always butterscotch and rainbows, but it should be a positive experience for each of you!
Include Your Student
Don’t leave them behind when you run errands; invite them along for even mundane tasks and allow them to choose their level of involvement (within reason). Encourage them to spend time talking with you and the family. Talking is the best way to get to know someone.
Learn About Their Homelife
Ask them to describe a typical weeknight and weekend. What routines help them thrive? Are they always out with friends, or are they a homebody? Are they introverted or more outgoing? Learning this can help you set appropriate expectations for the every-day vs. special events like attending concerts, dances, sporting events, etc.
Choose Well. Do Your Research
We chose a student from Spain our first time, as we know some Spanish and there is a large Spanish-speaking population here. We have a library/living room, so we’ve picked students who love to read. We love animals and foster them often, so we look for students who enjoy the company of pets and aren’t allergic. We’ve also chosen Germany and Italy, and now, France. Our French student is due to arrive this week and we’ve been learning phrases and pronunciation to help us all prepare.
Finally: The best advice I can give to any host (and any student) comes from the French fairytale, Cinderella, “Have courage and be kind.” Embrace the adventure for what it is. Your job is not to entertain a houseguest 24/7. This is not their long vacation. They are not your live-in babysitters. They are here to learn and we are here to help them experience it all. This is real life. It’s a special, unique opportunity. Hosting is a gift and if you can open up and welcome it, I promise, you won’t regret it.
Soft & Southern 
Sounds wonderful! We better learn a few greetings in French so we can say hello when we call!
Lovely and informational descriptions- hope it encourages others to consider hosting too!
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