Grand Rapids, Michigan (5/21/14) – Visiting students, ages 14-18, from around the world including Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand and China are seeking host families throughout West Michigan for the upcoming 2014-2015 academic school year. Host families are needed for students attending school for the fall semester and full school year. Visiting students are interested in learning more about life as an American teenager and participating in customs and traditions with the help of local families.
Host families (traditional families, singles, empty nesters, etc.) serve as mentors and a home base for their student. Visiting students participate as active members of the family and integrate into their host’s daily routines and traditions just like any other family member. Hosting an international student is a great way to open your family’s eyes to the world, and promote a sense of lifelong learning and adventure.
iE-USA, the sponsoring program, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting education and understanding through intercultural and academic exchange. iE-USA is certified by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel and strictly adheres to all U.S. Department of State Student Exchange Program regulations and guidelines.
“Every year our region plays host to hundreds of talented, top-of-their-class students with the lifelong dream of studying in America,” reports Joseph Bissell, iE-USA’s Great Lakes Regional Director. Joe ads, “Michigan’s spirit of hospitality and focus on academic enrichment makes it an ideal environment to develop cultural exchange and promote international diplomacy on a local level.”
Exchange student participants undergo an extensive application and orientation process in their home country prior to being accepted into iE-USA’s program. Each student is responsible for his/her own spending money and full health insurance coverage.
To learn more about how to make the dream come true for an international high school exchange student, contact West Michigan area representative Sarah Boucher at s.boucher@international-experience.net or 517-331-3460. Host families may review prospective student profiles online at iE-USA.org. Families desiring to host an exchange student must apply by August 15, 2014.