There are countless benefits to hosting an exchange student in your home when you have children. AFS exchange students form deep bonds with their host siblings, often introducing them to new experiences and perspectives. By welcoming a young person from another culture into their home, children and teens can learn how to share their space, be more inclusive, and work across cultural divides with someone who may not do things the same way they do. This allows them to develop empathy, flexibility, and social awareness – qualities that will serve them in their future both personally and professionally!
Kia Venegas, an AFS-USA host parent and volunteer who currently lives in Chicago, shares how hosting has impacted her own children:
“Our family will soon welcome our sixth year-long exchange student since 2017. We hosted our first student when my own kids were nine and 11 years-old, and this year they will be 16 and 18. During [our hosting journey], we’ve had tons of good times, but certainly a few difficult times, due to sharing our home with a teenager from another part of the world.
While I have seen the positive impact on my own kids in terms of sparking curiosity and cultural awareness, I have also seen them become more adaptable and easier people with whom to cohabitate. Extend that thought also to generosity, hospitality, and thoughtfulness toward others, as they see us care for other people’s kids in our home [through hosting]. This is particularly notable as we prepare to send our oldest to college for her freshman year to live in a tight-spaced dorm room with someone she’s never met! This is an ‘adulting’ skill that all humans have to learn, and many get that crash course in their first year of college. I believe that thanks to AFS, my kids have a head start on that!”
Hosting an exchange student enriches children and young adults by building cultural awareness, confidence, and lasting friendships. It fosters adaptability, responsibility, and language skills, while also preparing them for future challenges like college by teaching independence and conflict resolution.
Ready to immerse your family in the hosting experience? Browse student profiles and learn more about the process at afsusa.org/host.