Hosting a Foreign Exchange Student Can Change Your Life
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CIEE is still looking for a few more volunteer host families to open their homes to an international high school student. In the video above, Danny Croxson, a coordinator in the Wichita Falls area, shares how meaningful the hosting experience has been for him and his family.
“I’ve had 16 sons; 17 and 18 are here now," he said. "It has touched my life in a way. My family’s life, I would love for every family to be able to share that adventure.”
Most students who still need host families are from the U.S. State Department’s Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program. Each year more than 900 YES students are competitively selected for these merit-based scholarships. Students are recruited from 37 countries and represent a wide range of diversity, including geographic, socioeconomic, cultural, and religious backgrounds, and people with disabilities.
While living with an American family and attending a U.S. high school, YES students:
- Help Americans to better understand their home country, values, and culture;
- Promote U.S. security by fostering lasting ties between participants and Americans;
- Advance mutual understanding, respect for diversity, leadership skills, and participation in civil society; and
- Increase the understanding of American values in communities abroad.
To learn more about becoming a host family, visit our web page. It's not too late to open your home to a foreign exchange student so please reach out today!