Would Your Family Consider Hosting a Foreign Exchange H.S. Student?

[judysue]

Cultural Homestay International is a nonprofit education agency that sponsors students from other countries to come to all 50 states for a high school year abroad. Cultural Homestay OKC is forming an interest list for families who might consider hosting. Students are 15-18 years old, have been carefully selected for the program, speak English and bring own spending money and health insurance. Families provide room and board and a loving home. Retired couples, families with young children, single parents all welcome, anywhere in Oklahoma. Home visit and background check required to host. You may choose your student. Student matching happens through the spring and students arrive in August. For more information please email: chi-okla@cox.net.

[MustangGT]

When I was in HS decades ago we sponsored two exchange students. Fantastic experience.

[PennyQuilts]

Do the kids stay all the way through highschool?

[trousers]

I think it's usually just one school year.

[mugofbeer]

We had a Japanese kid stay with us when i was in HS. Fun experience. Never will forget how scared he got when a thunderstorm would come up because everyone had told him he would get killed by tornadoes.

[Dave Cook]

One note worth adding.....only agree to host a foreign student if are legitimately available to assist these kids and bring them into a positive environment. I've seen too many kids end up in homes where families were only hosting because they were in need of the extra income. This isn't good for the kid and only benefits the host family.

[Wambo36]

One note worth adding.....only agree to host a foreign student if are legitimately available to assist these kids and bring them into a positive environment. I've seen too many kids end up in homes where families were only hosting because they were in need of the extra income. This isn't good for the kid and only benefits the host family.

^^This^^. Our one experience with an exchange student was to take one in the middle of the school year because he was in a bad situation. The woman who took him in had some health and family problem crop up and he was miserable. My daughter had him in several classes and felt he needed a change, so we applied to take him the rest of the year. He bonded with my sons and it was a pretty positive experience for everyone. We actually did some stuff that we all enjoyed,because of him, that we wouldn't have otherwise.

[judysue]

Most come for two semesters and a few come for just one. Department of State regulations state that they can't stay longer than one school year.

[judysue]

This program does not allow families to be compensated for hosting. Has to be a goodwill gesture. It does make it challenging though to find families willing to do it.

[lasomeday]

This program does not allow families to be compensated for hosting. Has to be a goodwill gesture. It does make it challenging though to find families willing to do it.

Can single guys host a foreign exchange student?

[judysue]

Single people can host. They must be ten years older than the student and pass the in home interview and background check, and like all families, supply two references.