Sara Fletcher has worked with exchange students for years – first as a Local Coordinator, and now as a Regional Director, where she oversees the placement and supervision of iE students in the Midwest USA, as well as several Southern states. She’s also a host mom who just welcomed her third exchange student.

But before she ever worked in student exchange, Sara was one herself. As a young adult, she studied abroad in Russia, where she lived with a host family and immersed herself in a new culture. Thanks to her wealth of firsthand experience – both as a student and a host – she understands the joys and challenges of international exchange.

Welcoming a new member into your family can feel overwhelming. Even if you’ve raised teens before, cultural differences, language barriers, and the natural adjustment period can leave you wondering what to expect.

That’s why Sara put together this quick “crash course” in hosting. Whether it’s your first year or your fortieth, we hope you’ll walk away feeling more confident and prepared for the incredible journey ahead.

Hosting 101

Sara as an exchange student.

A good place to start is by asking yourself this one question: What was your goal when you first volunteered to host – was it to learn and grow, to step out of your comfort zone? How exactly does this play out when you have a student in your home?

1. Be prepared for your student to have habits and preferences or make decisions that you do not understand. Your student will have needs that you cannot anticipate and they may not be good at communicating them to you at first. It’s very possible they may not ever be able to explain them to you in words.

2. Keep an open mind each day and watch for clues. Just watch and listen . . . try to recognize emotions and offer understanding when you can even if you barely grasp what’s going on in their head. Enjoy being an investigator of what makes your student tick. Sometimes you may just need to sit down and have a conversation with them to understand each other better.

This is all part of the cultural exchange process. The more we learn to understand each other, the better we get along and the more fun we can have. It’s a lot easier to have a fun day floating down the river together as a family when you’ve cleared up the confusion over why your student overslept and made everyone late to meet the river guide – she stayed up late talking to her mom back home because she is homesick. Now that you know she’s feeling homesick, you can creatively distract her with some fun activities over the weekend, and maybe ask her to tell you about her family back home.

3. Lead with compassion. If you aren’t sure what to do – be compassionate. The student’s behavior may seem annoying to you, but try to put yourselves in the student’s shoes. It can be exhausting to constantly adapt to a new environment!

A Spanish girl at age 15 may need a lot of alone time to process her emotions because her mom isn’t there and she’s only just getting to know you. A Spanish boy may leave his wet laundry in the washing machine or forget to put trash in the trash can because his parents hired a maid in his home country. Your student may fall asleep after school and not realize you have dinner planned at 6pm, so she will miss it entirely because back home her family eats at 9pm. Your student may have a hard time waking up for school; she’s tired because she’s getting used to speaking English all day and the newness of school is still very overwhelming for her. Or your student may not think to wash their sports clothes – probably because they need to go to Walmart to stock up on deodorant but are feeling too shy to ask you to take them.

4. Be prepared to be their parent. Don’t wait for them to ask you what you need or expect from them. Set clear expectations of how you want them to behave in your home and participate in family life. Literally write all of this down, print it and give it to them. I have a few samples of “Survival Guide to Our Household” which I can share with anyone interested. Any amount of guidance you can provide, no matter how small it may seem to you, will be much appreciated by your student. If you expect them to put the shower curtain inside the shower rather than the outside, you should tell them point-blank, rather than expecting them figure these things out on their own.

5. Never assume your student knows how to do something that you find mundane or routine. They’re coming here from the comfort of their own homes, and it probably feels like everything is different. Many of them do not know how to operate a vacuum cleaner or microwave. Think about how you might feel arriving to a town in the arctic circle – you would need locals to teach you how to dress for very cold temperatures and how to operate a skidoo. Put yourself in your student’s shoes and be as thorough and repetitive as you need to be to help your student acclimate.

Do you remember being a teenager? Regardless of where your student is from, there are some common “teenager” behaviors that transcend all cultures.

• Your student probably will not pick up on unspoken communication.
• Be prepared to over-explain.
• Be prepared to remind them multiple times of things you’ve already told them.
• Be prepared to invite them more than once to do something with you.”

Covering 3.8 million square miles and comprising over 340 million people, the United States is one of the largest countries in the world – and in every community across the USA, “sharing your America” looks a little bit different. So what are the things that make us uniquely American?

Fourth of July provides a great opportunity to step back and recognize what connects and unites us as a country. Keep reading for five ways to share your America no matter where you live!

 1. Share Your Stories

Every person has a story – and every region of the U.S. has its own voice. From Appalachian folktales to West Coast memoirs, storytelling helps us preserve traditions, honor local heroes, and pass down wisdom and learning moments from generation to generation. 

Share your America by watching a classic American TV show or movie together, listening to a podcast that discusses American history, or even attend a play or musical at your local theater.

2. Share Your Hospitality

Hospitality is a deeply rooted American value that goes beyond geography. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture – the simple act of opening up your home and sharing a meal together is the perfect way to build connections that could turn into meaningful friendship

3. Share Your Community

America is built on the strength of its communities. Whether you’re organizing a local cleanup, volunteering at a food bank, or showing up to a town hall meeting, your commitment to others is part of what makes this country work. Sharing your America means showing up for the people around you – after all, change often starts at the local level.

4. Share Your Adventure

From the Grand Canyon to hidden trails in your own backyard, America’s landscapes are invitations to explore. Sharing your America through adventure might mean hiking, biking, surfing, or just taking the long way home with the windows down. It’s about appreciating the freedom to roam — and encouraging others to step outside, breathe deeply, and discover what makes this land so awe-inspiring.

5. Share Your Art & Culture

Between Indigenous roots, immigrant influences, and regional traditions, the manifestation of culture across the USA is as diverse as its people. Because there is no one “American culture,” it’s a great practice to take time and dig into the cultural roots of your region of the U.S. Whether you’re . . . 

• visiting historical sites in the Northeast
• listening to folk music in the Southeast
• taking in rock art in the Southwest
• creating your own art, 

. . . witnessing and contributing to local culture in our own unique way is how we keep weaving the tapestry of American culture generation after generation. 

2. Share Your Hospitality

Hospitality is a deeply rooted American value that goes beyond geography. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture – the simple act of opening up your home and sharing a meal together is the perfect way to build connections that could turn into meaningful friendship.

4. Share Your Adventure

From the Grand Canyon to hidden trails in your own backyard, America’s landscapes are invitations to explore. Sharing your America through adventure might mean hiking, biking, surfing, or just taking the long way home with the windows down. It’s about appreciating the freedom to roam — and encouraging others to step outside, breathe deeply, and discover what makes this land so awe-inspiring.

. . . witnessing and contributing to local culture in our own unique way is how we keep weaving the tapestry of American culture generation after generation.

What’s it really like to be an exchange student in the U.S.?

Hosting an exchange student is a rewarding experience for everyone involved. But have you ever wondered what it looks like from a student’s perspective? We asked some of our current exchange students — Daria from Poland 🇵🇱, Julia from Spain, and Amina from Mongolia 🇲🇳 — to share a glimpse into their daily lives. From host family relationships to funny memories, you’ll get an inside look at how they’re adjusting, learning, and making the most of their time in the U.S.

Daria 🇵🇱: “I think at first it was a little bit challenging. The most different was the type of family for me because I never have any sibling and now I have 4. So that was probably the bigger shock for me.

I tried to talk, hanging out with them as much as I can to meet them better. Do the stuff that they like to do or just watch how they doing something that they like.

I think my advice for future student will be to not close yourself in a room, the host family probably would like to meet you more and they would like to spend good time with you and make this experience good and memorable for you. “

Julia 🇪🇸: “One of them is 20 years old, she is in college so I don’t see her much; but, the times we saw her we were laughing all the time, we have a pretty similar sense of humor, and our interest and hobbies are really similar too, so it was so easy to get along with her.

My other host sister is 17, so, one year older than me, I see her everyday and we do a lot of things together. We like to do the same things, we have the same hobbies, so again, it was really easy to get along with her. Living together and doing a lot of things together made our relationship stronger.

So, I would say both of my relationships with my host sisters are really good. They made me feel welcomed since the very beginning and they accepted me as a sister. I’m so happy to have them as host sisters!”

Amina 🇲🇳: “We attend church regularly! From Monday to Thursday, my host sister and I go to seminary in the morning. On Sundays, we participate in church from 12:00 to 2:00 PM. I’ve met so many wonderful people and made a lot of friends. I’m incredibly grateful that I started attending church with my host family!”

Julia 🇪🇸: “Yes! One day, my host sister, host mom, and me were in the living room watching a movie and talking. All of a sudden we look to the kitchen and we saw something that looked like a dog toy (we have two dogs, and one of them is a one year-old puppy, so we thought it was one of her toys), but we didn’t recognize it, and it was weird, so my host mom went to see what it was . . . Nothing similar to a dog toy . . . It was a possum! Our puppy brought us a possum at 10:30 at night!

That night we were all a little bit nervous (because possums act dead when they feel attacked so we didn’t know if it was dead or alive) but now it’s so funny to remember!”

Daria 🇵🇱: “I was sick one day and I was missing my mom’s soup so I asked my host mom if she could make me my favorite chicken soup — what she made was really good, but chicken soup in the U.S. and Polish chicken soup are totally different. I was sad at first, because I couldn’t eat something that tasted like home. I think it’s probably common for a lot of students that food is different than back in home.“

Amina 🇲🇳: “My host family supported me during difficult times by always being there to listen and offer guidance. They made me feel at home by checking in on me, encouraging me, and including me in family activities. Whether it was a tough day at school or feeling homesick, they reassured me and helped me navigate challenges with patience and kindness. Their support made my exchange experience so much easier and more meaningful.”

Amina 🇲🇳: “What I will miss most about my host family is the warmth and love they’ve shown me throughout my time here. From the little everyday moments—like eating dinner together and laughing over inside jokes—to the big adventures we’ve shared, they’ve truly made me feel like part of the family. I’ll miss our late-night talks, the support they’ve given me, and the feeling of home they created for me. No matter where I go, they will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Prior to hosting, Saladino said she worried that being a single parent family might take away from Rosaria’s experience in some way. But that concern quickly proved itself untrue once Rosaria arrived in the USA and the two of them quickly became like family.

Becoming family

“I miss having her here —  she brought humor, joy, and happiness to my home,” Saladino said. “I enjoyed seeing my culture through someone else’s eyes, and we had a lot of fun comparing things like foods, or phrases, or even children’s songs.”

They also got to travel around the region together, visiting nearby states including Missouri, North Carolina, Louisiana and other parts of Tennessee like Nashville and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Saladino was intentional about doing fun activities in the area with Rosaria to help her experience more of the local culture — from aquariums to museums to restaurants to bowling, and of course, a few movie nights at home with popcorn.

“I’ll never forget the first time we went to Walmart!” Saladino said. “We ate dinner together every night and would discuss how she was doing and what her experiences were like.”

Through all of their adventures together, Saladino said, the most formative moments were the mundane ones, like washing dishes or walking the dogs, and spending time over the holidays together. 

“A funny story – Rosaria was very thoughtful and decided to make me a cake for my birthday. However, it was getting late and she had school the next day. So, we put the candles in it quickly,” Saladino said. “Well, the cake hadn’t cooled enough and the candles melted in the middle! We had to eat the cake around the center part where the candles were.” 

Lasting connections

In the late winter of Rosaria’s year in the US, Saladino began planning a trip to Italy for the following summer. Since they had formed such a strong bond, she asked Rosaria (and her family) if they’d be okay with her taking a stop to visit them while on her solo adventure.

“I wanted to make sure it was okay with them because I ended up going just a short time after she had returned home, and I didn’t want to interrupt her adjustment of being back at home again,” Saladino said.

Best advice

When asked what advice she’d give to anyone, particularly a single-host parent home, who’s thinking about hosting, Saladino said “go for it!”

“I am so thankful for the opportunity to host a student,” Saladino said. “It was a wonderful experience.”

To Saladino, being open to sharing life with someone else was a key part of preparing to host — and in the end, it was well worth it. 

“You never know how both of your lives can change for the better,” she said. 

But not every gift needs to cost a lot of money — in fact, some of the most meaningful gifts involve giving of your time and energy to make those you love most feel thought of and appreciated.

Here are just a few of the BEST gifts you can give the host family or international student in your life.

The period between Thanksgiving and the New Year is often full of extra activities, which translates to lots of time in the car for busy host parents. Offering to give a ride to or from practice, a holiday activity, or school can make a world of difference!

Whether you’re hosting a cookie exchange, seeing a Christmas play, or driving to view the holiday lights, inviting a student and their host family to join in on the festivity is one meaningful way to make both feel like they’re part of your community.

At this time of year it’s common for students to miss their friends and family a little extra. Asking about what they love most about the holidays in their home country is a great way to help them feel seen and understood.

Whether you’re a host family, exchange student, or local coordinator, OR you support the members of your iE family in any of the above ways — thank you for making our work possible. We couldn’t do it without you! 

Interested in joining our global family? Click below to find out how you can start making a difference today.

At its core, Thanksgiving is all about reflecting on what we’re thankful for. Thank-fully, gratitude is a universal language, and this is the perfect season to share your own winter holiday traditions.

One creative and thoughtful way to recognize Thanksgiving is to create a “Thankful Tree,” which involves getting the whole family together to share what you’re grateful for on “leaves” (often pieces of paper) attached to a “tree.”

A Thankful Tree like the one above is a great visual representation of gratitude, but it’s also a great way to bond as a global family, fostering cross-cultural dialogue and helping students, host parents, and host siblings alike appreciate the diversity of perspectives within their community.

Whether you’re a host family, teacher, or local coordinator, this hands-on activity is a great way to bring together diverse perspectives and highlight the beauty of shared gratitude.

There are lots of different ways to make a Thankful Tree. This is how we made ours:

• Brown paper (like butcher paper)
• Colored construction paper or colored felt/paper leaves
• Markers
• Tape
• Scissors

Step 1. Create your “trunk and branches”

Technically, the first step is to find a wall, pantry door, etc. that you’re okay with putting some tape on.

Then, use brown paper like butcher paper or even recycled paper shopping bags to create the base of your Thankful Tree – the trunk and the branches!

Tip: Crinkle and twist the paper slightly (pictured below) to create a “bark-like” look.

Step 3: (Optional) – Cut out your leaves

There are many different ways to create the “leaves” for your Thankful Tree.

We cut our own out of colored construction paper, but you could easily use felt, fabric, or pre-cut paper leaves from the craft store, too.

We also love this idea to make your Thankful Tree a centerpiece on your dining room table! 

The days between September and November look a little different in every region of the U.S.

Further north, you’ll see vibrant fall colors as temperatures drop and the leaves change color. Down south, the weather goes from hot to bearable, and the days get shorter.

It can be tempting to just hunker down and brace for winter, but when you’re hosting an exchange student, every season brings new opportunities to connect and share your culture. Keep reading for a list a of five ways to embrace all the best of this (always too-short) season with your international high school student.

1. Visit a local pumpkin patch or apple orchard

A classic for a reason! These outings aren’t only a fun photo op — they’re also a chance to invite your students into typical American fall traditions. Bonus: Carve a pumpkin together, or bake a sweet treat like apple pie or applesauce.

2. Get outside together

As previously mentioned, winter is fast approaching . . . so embrace the remaining days this year when you can get outside! 

Research the best hikes in your area, or take your student on a local walking trail, to admire the fall foliage. You can even collect your favorite leaves to press and dry later if you’re feeling crafty! 

As you walk, take the opportunity to discuss what fall is like in your student’s home country. Learning more about what makes us different and the same is what student exchange is all about! 

3. Get festive.

Is your region known for its fall Renaissance festival? Do you live on the best street for trick-or-treating? Or does your church host a Day of the Dead celebration? 

Here’s your chance to embrace the joy of the fall season, and bring your student along with you. 

4. Bring out the classics

For many Americans, fall can be a nostalgic time, particularly in the realm of TV shows, music, and movies. Whether you’re a Pride and Prejudice fan, a Gilmore Girls enthusiast, or prefer something a little bit more on the spookier side, offering to share your favorite pieces of fall media with your students is a great way to connect and spend some quality time. And let’s face it — who doesn’t love a cozy fall movie marathon? 

5. Decorate for the season

It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, but one great way to come together and embrace the fall season is by sprucing up your decor, either inside or outside.

Have your student help you pick out and then artfully place pumpkins, gourds, scarecrows and the like. If you’re into Halloween, you could incorporate some skeletons or spiders, too. 

 Not only is this a super fun way to spend time together, but it’s also a way to help your student feel included and a part of your home and family. 

2. Get outside together

As previously mentioned, winter is fast approaching . . . so embrace the remaining days this year when you can get outside! 

Research the best hikes in your area, or take your student on a local walking trail, to admire the fall foliage.

You can even collect your favorite leaves to press and dry later if you’re feeling crafty! 

As you walk, take the opportunity to discuss what fall is like in your student’s home country. Learning more about what makes us different and the same is what student exchange is all about! 

4. Bring out the classics

For many Americans, fall can be a nostalgic time, particularly in the realm of TV shows, music, and movies.

Whether you’re a Pride and Prejudice fan, a Gilmore Girls enthusiast, or prefer something a little bit more on the spookier side, offering to share your favorite pieces of fall media with your students is a great way to connect and spend some quality time.

And let’s face it — who doesn’t love a cozy fall movie marathon?