Opening your home, opening your world: Families invited to host exchange students this fall

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Throughout the school year, exchange students attend a local high school, participate in community life, and immerse themselves in American customs.

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Photo: African Student Association/Unsplash

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As families across the country plan for the school year ahead, one nonprofit is inviting them to take part in a cultural exchange that reaches far beyond the classroom. World Heritage International Student Exchange Programs is currently seeking host families willing to welcome international students into their homes for the upcoming school year.

The experience is more than just providing a bed and meals—it’s a chance to share daily life, build lifelong friendships, and foster deeper understanding between cultures. Students, aged 15 to 18, come from over 60 countries, including France, Japan, Italy, Australia, and Denmark. They are carefully selected for their academic performance, English proficiency, and strong personal character.

Five really good reasons to be a host:

1. Cultural Enrichment at Home

You don’t have to travel the world to experience it. Hosting a student brings another culture straight into your living room. Experience new foods, new traditions, even fun phrases in a different language.

2. Lasting International Friendships

You’re not just hosting a student, you’re gaining a new family member. Many families stay in touch for years, visiting each other and celebrating milestones from across the globe.

3. Personal Growth and Family Connection

Welcoming someone new into your space teaches patience and understanding. It often brings families closer together as you all work as a team to make the experience great.

4. Educational Opportunities for All

Your kids (and you!) can learn so much just by chatting at the dinner table. Exchange students bring new perspectives that can spark great conversations and open up your view of the world.

5. Giving Back Without Financial Strain

You provide the home and meals, and the student covers their own spending money and insurance. It’s a rewarding way to make a difference—without breaking the bank.

Host families are diverse and can include empty nesters, single parents, same-sex couples, retirees, or young professionals. What they all share is a willingness to provide a safe, supportive environment that offers encouragement and cultural exchange. The students arrive with their own spending money and health insurance, making hosting financially accessible to most households.

Throughout the school year, exchange students attend a local high school, participate in community life, and immerse themselves in American customs while also sharing their own. For many families, the experience brings a new level of global awareness right into the living room.

In addition to hosting opportunities, World Heritage also connects American students with similar experiences abroad through its study programs, offering them a chance to explore life in another country for a summer, semester, or school year.

Families interested in hosting or exploring study abroad programs can visit www.host.world-heritage.org or contact Debra Garbon at (800) 888-9040 or info@worldheritage.org for more information.

Tagged: how to host an international exchange student, cultural exchange programs for American families, student exchange host family opportunities, benefits of hosting foreign exchange students, nonprofit student exchange programs in the U.S., World Heritage International host family info, exchange students and American high schools

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