June 30, 2023

American students all know that homework is integral to their school performance. But foreign exchange students may have a very different understanding of and relationship to homework, and it can get them into big trouble here in the U.S. Therefore, host families need to be ready to help their exchange students “get with the program,”

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June 19, 2023

What is the most important thing for students to know as they get ready for their exchange? As the time draws near for exchange students to leave home, my new students are beginning to ask questions about life here in the U.S. They want to know what I can tell them about life in their community.

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April 21, 2023

We frequently hear from parents in other countries seeking to place their son or daughter with a relative or family friend in the U.S. for the student’s high school exchange year. One of the first questions they often ask us is why they have to go through a program if they already have a placement in

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February 15, 2022

I came across this interesting infographic the other day. It’s a few years old (2016), and I do wonder if there might be some differences in statistics after 2+ years of the pandemic, with so many students having spent considerable time in distance learning. But even so, it’s an interesting chart with information parents might

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December 23, 2021

This post is by guest author Samidha Raj of PlanetSpark.It is indeed a small world in modern times. We are all interconnected and interdependent, much more than even just a few years ago. Studying abroad, travel, and other forms of international engagements pose a vital need for learning foreign languages for everyone. It’s never too

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November 4, 2021

Are you an exchange student thinking about gifts for your host family for this holiday season? Perhaps you’re a host parent or host sibling and you’re trying to think about something for your exchange student?  Here is our 2021 gift idea list! I’ve listed some specific examples in particular categories, but these are just starting points

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October 30, 2021

Even we experienced coordinators learn something new all the time about the countries and cultures we deal with — today, I learned about Halloween in Italy.Halloween is not a recognized “official” holiday such as we have here in the United States, but you could say it exists in a different form. People will dress up

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September 2, 2021

”We are currently hosting an exchange student. We are not enjoying it. The student is not as she described herself in her application. There are so many problems and we can’t even talk to her now. Our home feels awkward and we are anxious for her to leave. What can we do? Are we crazy

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