Host Family Experience
Open Your Home To The World
Open Your Home to the World
Being a CIEE BridgeUSA High School host family means creating a home away from home for an international student. You’ll serve as a parent, cultural ambassador, and mentor – sharing everyday life while learning and growing together. For many families, the experience is just as life changing as it is for the student.
What the Exchange Experience Means to the Wissel Family
“Having people come live with us from other countries is such a remarkable deep way to see outside of ourselves,” said Mark Wissel, a host dad from Missouri.
Join 16,000 Families Making a Global Impact
As the nation’s largest and oldest nonprofit intercultural exchange organization, CIEE brings students from 55 countries to more than 1,000 U.S. high schools each year. By hosting, you become part of a passionate nationwide network shaping the future – one student at a time.
Our host families come from various locations, sizes, ages, but they all share a common belief: that opening their home and hearts to an international student creates lifelong connections, enriches their community, and builds a more understanding world.
What Host Parents are Saying
“Hosting our foreign exchange daughter from South Korea has been an unforgettable experience. From the moment she arrived, she quickly became a true part of our family. Together, we made countless memories, camping under the stars, enjoying exciting cruises, and spending magical days at Universal Studios."
– Kanei Keitt-Rivers, host mom from Virginia
“It was the best decision I could have made for my family. It was an amazing experience that I never thought I’d do, and I’m so happy I did.”
– Andrew Clifton, host dad from Missouri
Become a BridgeUSA Host Family in 3 Simple Steps
1. Apply and learn more about hosting requirements
Submit an application on our Beacon platform, and our team will reach out with guidance on what you can expect next.
2. Check out student profiles that match your interests.
CIEE conducts personalized matching, providing you with options to help you find the right student for your family.
3. Receive ongoing support from your local coordinator.
You can rely on a CIEE local coordinator in your area who has prior experience working with host families.
Join Our Community
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
An international student enrolled in the CIEE BridgeUSA High School program can stay with a host family for the academic year. This typically means the student would arrive in August and return home in June.
All kinds of people can serve as a CIEE BridgeUSA High School host family. You can be single or married, even with or without kids. To start, you must be at least 25 years old and pass a background check.
There are just three things an American host family must be able to do for an international student:
- Provide a bed, storage space for clothes and personal belongings, access to bathroom facilities, and a study space
- Three quality meals a day
- Transportation to and from school activities
Making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous
Created by Congress in 1961, BridgeUSA builds bridges between nations by bringing more than 300,000 young leaders each year to live, work, and learn in the United States through transformational cultural and professional exchanges. As the largest and longest-serving BridgeUSA sponsor, CIEE helps make these experiences possible—welcoming over 30,000 participants annually who strengthen American businesses, enrich communities, and share their cultures and ideas, making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.
Learn more about BridgeUSA