Host Families

Host families frequently believe that the principal value in having an international student is the opportunity to share their home and lifestyle with someone from a distant land. However, host families often realize they are significantly changed by the experience. They become more attuned to world issues, more mindful of their own enculturation, more cognizant of how people see events from their own cultural perspective, and more sensitive to the idea that each culture’s way of life is equally valid. This is a process that host families share with students along the journey. Each day is a new experience.

The Homestay Program

The homestay program aims to:

  • Increase understanding between people and cultures by providing international students the chance to experience family life and school in America. Students learn about American culture firsthand by becoming directly involved in family, school, and community life.
  • Provide host families with the opportunity to share their culture and introduce their family to another culture through hosting international students.
  • Prepare international students to live in a dormitory setting and become self-sufficient.