iE-USA student & Host family Blog
Experiencing the world with iE!
Top 9 FAQ About Hosting an Exchange Student
Updated March 2022 So you've been considering hosting a high school exchange student, but have some questions regarding the process. Don't worry! We've gathered the top 9 frequently asked questions about hosting an exchange student: 1. What does our commitment...
FAQ: What is a Double Placement?
Updated February 2022 The double placement was definitely the right way to go for us. Since we don't have any kids of our own, it was like creating an instant family, complete with siblings! Plus, the students leaned on each other at school and had a buddy in the...
Welcome Families: Short-term commitment, BIG impact!
Updated 7/8/2022 We love sharing the adventure of student exchange! But what if a family can't host for the full school year? Easy! They can help as a welcome family! What is a "welcome family?" A welcome family hosts a student on a short-term basis at the...
We Say YES
Updated December 2021 From the outside looking in, a family's decision to host an exchange student may seem like a logistical mystery. Most families in our culture would say they feel busy, or at the very least "full," with their own schedules and their own...
Debunking 10 Common Objections to Hosting
Updated November 2021 Everyone seems to agree: hosting an exchange student is enriching, rewarding, and so very fun! So why do so many people push the pause button? Like anything else, hosting an exchange student comes with a common list of assumptions and...
A Fitting Tribute: Moana in America
It's not every day that you run across someone who can so clearly capture the heart and soul of an experience in a way that it can be shared with, and felt by, others. Fortunately for us, iE student, Moana's host parents, Erik and Kaylee are up to the task! Check out...
A Farm-Fresh Adventure for Max
When exchange students dream of their future host home, “farm life” often isn’t on their radar! Even so, Max from Germany feels he has found his perfect second home exploring farm life with the fun-loving Erb family. Life on the Farm Jeremy and Laura Erb own and...
Oregon’s “Ray” of Sunshine
Ray Hernandez is outgoing, magnetic, and a gifted guitarist. Like any exchange student, he had some doubts about leaving the familiarity of his home in Spain to embrace the unknown of an exchange year in the US. Fortunately for Ray, that one leap of faith has...
We LOVE Our Host Families!
As Valentine’s day approaches, let us give credit where credit is due: our incredible host families! WE LOVE YOU! We appreciate each and every host family who has joined us in this journey – let us share just a few of their stories with you! It’s a Twin Thing! What’s...
4 Ways to Spice Up YOUR Super Bowl Party!
HOLD IT. What does the Super Bowl have to do with student exchange?! Well let's start with this: it's not just about the game! (Right?!) There's no denying that the Super Bowl has become a major national icon of connection and camaraderie (and oh yeah - FOOTBALL!)...
Hosting Christian – The Right Fit!
When a family is matched with just the right student, we often find that the experience changes them, making a mark on their family that will never be forgotten. Carrie and Brian Barton and their son Kevin had often opened their home to others – a teen mom and her...
Hanukkah, Stockings & Saint Nicholas Too!
One of the brilliant parts of hosting an exchange student is the FUN that comes from including them in your family's holiday celebrations... and trying out some of theirs! This has been true of the Chudoba family, who is hosting Alex from Germany this year. This...
Leonie’s Christmas in America
One of the joys of exchange is experiencing all the ways we’re different, as well as all the many ways we’re the same – and this is especially true during the holiday season! Leonie Gabriel from Germany is staying with the Fishel family in Fishers, Indiana. She and...
Why Student Exchange is more “Thanksgiving-y” than Black Friday and Pumpkin Pie COMBINED
As a national holiday that's specific to the US, the Thanksgiving experience is one our exchange students always cherish! [perfectpullquote align="full" cite="" link="" color="" class="" size=""] Eat way too much food? DONE. Sit around watching the football game or...
“Way to Go, Julie…”
Christa and Brian Tesch may be new host parents, but they already feel right at home hosting 16 year old Julie. “She is a perfect mix of my kids’ personalities,” shares Christa. “I swear she could be my child! They all get along really well.” The Tesch family has two...
5 Pumpkin-Loving Activities For Your Family!
Exchange students love experiencing anything "American" - and what could be more representative of our culture this time of year than pumpkin spice lattes?! All joking aside, we are a nation that loves our seasons, as well as the iconic flavors that go with them. It...
Meet Julian
15 year old Julian Schwiers may be far from his German hometown, but he’s quickly found a place all his own right here in Tennessee. Julian and his Spanish host brother Luis are sharing the host home of Shelly and Michael Treen – their second double placement in two...
Bring an Exchange Student Back to School!
It's back-to-school time across the country. As American students choose colored binders and stock up on pencils, more than 25 exchange students across the world are holding their breath, waiting. They wait by the phone, anticipating the news that they have been...
Double Placement… Twice as Nice!
The Peebles hosted their first student with International Experience in 2015, and while every experience has redeeming elements, their first hosting relationship didn't feel entirely fulfilling. However, knowing that the magic happens with "the right fit," their...
Big Brother Nico
When Tricia Lee was a child, she loved having an exchange student in the home. Now that she is a mom of four children, she's choosing the same adventure for her family! The Lee family in Minnesota has hosted a total of 4 exchange students, the most recent being Nico...
Share YOUR America!
How will YOU celebrate this 4th of July? Did you know that there are many exchange students still awaiting a host home? These young men and women dream of the opportunity to soak up American culture - to shadow you and see what life is like in your shoes! This year,...