Host an exchange student at Garfield High School

Save to Favorites

BECOME A HOST FAMILY

Hosting an international student will not only broaden your global world perspective, but will enrich and educate your community in ways you never imagined! Join ICES today and become a host family for an international exchange student.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A HOST FAMILY

Your role as a host family is to provide room & board, and a nurturing home environment for your exchange student. The rewards of hosting are many, your family will learn and grow with the experience as you build life-long friendships.

ICES provides host families a network of support starting at the local level. Our trained Local Coordinators are available to help with any questions or concerns you and your family may have during the hosting experience. Local Coordinators will visit your home and provide you with detailed information about the hosting experience, while answering all of your questions. Host families are given an orientation before their students’ arrival to ensure they understand all aspects of hosting.

OUR STUDENTS

ICES works with its partners overseas who do the pre-screening of students. Our partners recruit only those students who they feel will be excellent candidates for the program. We continue the screening process to ensure they have a genuine interest in becoming an exchange student. Here are some of the things we screen for:

• Academics: A minimum of a C average in all courses taken over the past three years. Transcripts translated into English and a Teacher’s Recommendation
• English Language Skills: Students must demonstrate acceptable scores on the Standard Test for English Proficiency and be comfortable in using English conversationally to follow course work and socialize.
• Personality: A personal essay written by the student to describe their personality, hobbies and home life.
• Attitude: The ability to deal with the inevitable challenges of adapting to another culture and communicating in a foreign language. Intellectual Curiosity: An open mind toward learning the ins and outs of another culture, such as its social customs, as well as concrete experiences such as food and fun.

FROM A STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

Students around the world contemplate and dream about an exchange experience, they wonder what things will look like once they are actually living with an American family and going to school. The impact an exchange experience has on these student’s is profound and meaningful. Being a host family not only gives students a place to call home, it changes their view on Americans, their perspective on life; it gives them the gift of friendship and of "family". As you change their lives, you change yours, cultural differences melt away and the rewards of hosting come with the realization that you made a difference, you changed lives!

If you are interested in hosting a student, please call Lisa Perkins, ICES Field Manager 503-260-5265 so she can assist you personally along with her energetic and knowledgeable team that is happy to tell you more about the hosting experience.