How (and why) to Host a Foreign Exchange Student in Wilmington, NC

Last year, our family took a leap and welcomed a foreign exchange student into our home. Through a Facebook connection, we learned a local organization needed homes for high school students from Russia who would be visiting our area for the summer.

For us, this decision had an element of risk attached to it, and we did not make the decision lightly. Opening up our home felt scary, with many unknowns. Yet ultimately, it was extremely rewarding. We were so glad we made the decision to host a foreign exchange student.

For us, having a student from Russia live with us opened up the world a little more to our children. Will we take them to Russia someday? Never say never, but the odds are stacked against a family trip to this large country. Yet this experience brought a new culture into their worlds and it helped their minds, still so innocent, understand that not everyone speaks English and the world is a woven tapestry of different cultures. We also like to think they learned Russia is the home of many loving families and gorgeous, sweet students.

(We also like to think by allowing our student into our lives, she carried home a message that America is home to many loving families and cute, smart kids.)

It was sweet when our student laughed at some of the things we said and shared because they seemed strange to her – and it was beautiful to see the children transcend language barriers and merely sit and color or play Candyland with her.

Hosting a foreign exchange student will also shatter any stereotypes you and your family may, even unknowingly, harbor. That is priceless.

This opened up the world to us – but it filled our hearts, too. There was something courageous and bold about sharing our most intimate lives with a stranger, and something rewarding about sharing the bounty of all that we have in an effort to forge human relationships across seas. Having a foreign exchange student live with us was also a rare opportunity to see our lifestyle and cultural adaptations through a new lens.

I caught up with someone who works in the field about the relevance of hosting a foreign exchange student. Annesophia Richards, Local Coordinator for Education, Travel & Culture, shared:

Families with children can benefit by giving their kids a glimpse of what life is like in other parts of the world, as well as providing their children with a strong bond to someone who will quickly become part of their forever family. In today’s world of texting, social media and FaceTime, students are able to continue to remain in touch with their host families long after they return to their home country. This opens up so many opportunities for their American siblings to one day travel themselves to visit and discover other parts of the world!

This was such a resonant experience for us that we highly recommend it. But there are some lessons worth sharing before you jump in.

Here are some tips for hosting a foreign exchange student:

You will not be paid or compensated for hosting.

Legally, the US Department of State puts strict limits on exchange student situations. Most students, of course, have money from their families to spend at their discretion, and some programs will provide a budget for food and drink. But do not expect to receive a stipend to cover gas, time, housing, etc.

The degree of English your student knows will vary.

English is a very hard language to learn. So you must be prepared to be patient and, also, to give your student a break when they need one.

Your student will follow your rules.

When hosting a student, you can (and should) expect them to follow the rules of your house. All of the students we met in our particular program were incredibly respectful.

This will take your time.

We underestimated how much time we would spend negotiating carpools, activities, and schedules to accommodate the new, vibrant life in our house.

Not all exchange programs are the same.

While we highly recommend hosting a foreign exchange student, certainly do your research. How much support does the program provide? Do they extensively interview their students and families? Do they plan activities, offer carpools, communicate adequately? What is their solution if there is a problem? Can they be relied on to help? How long is the duration of your student’s stay? What expectations does the program have for you as a host family? These are all important questions to ask.

Again, Annesophia Richards:

As for how to choose which organization to work with, it’s a matter of finding one that you feel will be able to provide a great support system to both your family as the hosts, as well as the student that you will be welcoming into your home. Knowing that there’s someone local who can give you and your student guidance and advice as often as you need it is key. Also, find an organization (like Education, Travel & Culture) that really tries hard to find each family a student that will fit in well with their lifestyle. We always strive to match student interests/hobbies/personalities as much as possible with the family who will host them, as well as let the families choose the gender and country of the student they wish to host. We want these families to be able to really learn from their students, and vice versa. It’s wonderful to be able to find students a home with people who love learning more about different cultures.

We treasured our memories made with our exchange student. The gifts she brought from Russia are located in places of honor in our house, proudly displayed to remind us that somewhere across the vast ocean, there is a home in Russia where we will be welcomed and loved.