What are the benefits of welcoming an international exchange student into your home?

Hosting an exchange student from North or South America, Europe, Asia, or Oceania means opening your home to new horizons and experiencing daily life from a fresh and unique perspective. By becoming a host family, you'll gain direct and profound insight into another culture, enriching and deepening your understanding of the world. You'll develop a multicultural tolerance that is essential in today’s modern, cosmopolitan society. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to discover new aspects of yourself, your family, and your country.

By hosting a foreign student, you will offer love, care, guidance, and advice to a young person eager to learn how to live like a local. In return, you’ll experience the rewarding journey of watching them grow, mature, and find their place in your world.

What is the hosting experience all about?

This experience involves welcoming students, usually aged between 15 and 18, for periods ranging from 2, 3, 4, 5 or even 10 months, during which they will attend a local high school.

Becoming a host family is open to everyone! The composition of your family, whether you have children or not, and their ages, do not matter as much as your willingness to share an intercultural experience with a young student eager to integrate into your lifestyle.

The success of this experience is based on the connection you share with the exchange student. For this reason, you will have the opportunity to choose the student who will become part of your home.

Throughout the entire experience, you will be supported by one of our local coordinators, who will guide you along the way and serve as an important point of contact for both your family and the student.

The exchange student will attend the local school, where the school administration will determine the appropriate class placement. In cases where the host family has teenage children, the foreign student may be placed in the same school as their host sibling, allowing for an even more integrated experience.

A Host Family’s Testimonial: an italian host family who hosted a Japanese student

O (thisis his first name!) returned home to Japan after 9 months as an exchange student in Italy. Being an exchange student, however, means finding a new family and, at the same time, missing your natural one. The Italian family hosted O in Italy for 9 months, and he became like a son to them. Saying goodbye was difficult because O left a lasting impression on their hearts, but they knew he will always remember them and remain a part of their family.

Here is the letter the Italian family wrote to the Japanese family at the end of the experience:

"Hello,
Thank you for your messages. We’re glad you made it home safely. Now our house feels emptier without O, and it’s strange to see the desk and room without his things. O already knows that Andrea and Margherita will soon fill it with their own mess, but for now, our home feels a bit sad. We keep thinking about our life with O. Nine months fly by, but we live through so many experiences together. Now we feel a little lonelier, but the memories keep us company. From now on, we will always be one family. We send you our warmest hugs."

Akemi’s Experience: From Japan to Brescia

Akemi, who came from Japan to Brescia, lived with a family that included two parents and a dog. Every week, she cooked traditional Japanese dishes for them, like ramen. Akemi has had a wonderful time in Italy and was very happy. She had made many friends at school and absolutely loved Italian food, especially pizza and lasagna.

Beyond food, for Akemi, the biggest difference between Japan and Italy was the school system. In Japan, she told us, school was more challenging, with classes lasting until 3:30 in the afternoon, followed by various activities like sports, singing, and dancing.

What she enjoyed about Italy was that school only takes up the morning, giving her more time in the afternoon to spend with friends and family.

Paulo’s Journey: From Mexico to Piacenza

We also spoke with Paulo from Mexico, who was savoring a delicious pistachio and hazelnut gelato during the interview.

Paulo lived with a family that had three children in Piacenza, and he was also very happy with his experience in Italy. He spoke Italian almost fluently and attended an agricultural institute. Three things about Italy have impressed him the most. First, the importance of family: just like in Mexico, it’s common to gather for meals, and he loved visiting his Italian grandmother's house on Sundays; the food was great, and the company was even better.

Second, Paulo was surprised to discover that in Italy, students can choose from various high school paths, like scientific or classical lyceums, culinary schools, and other institutes specialized in specific fields. For him, this is a huge advantage for future career prospects.

Finally, he loved that in Italy, you could easily visit many cities with just a few hours by train. He took advantage of this right away and had already visited Milan and Venice with his host family and friends.

High School exchange in Italy

Mauricio’s Adventure: From Ecuador to Italy

A few months ago, Mauricio from Ecuador decided to become an exchange student and chose our beloved Italy as his host country.

After spending an unforgettable year, on May 1st, Mauricio returned to Ecuador to reunite with his family, leaving behind a piece of his heart in Italy. His host family welcomed him with open arms and, for ten months, guided him through the discovery of Italian culture, history, and language.

Mauricio shared with us that he will never forget this experience and that he found a second home in Italy.

"I can say with certainty that my experience in Italy was beautiful. I would describe it as a roller coaster; at first, everything seems like a giant mountain that will never end, but after that, the descent is fast and fun. During these months, I met so many people whom I care about deeply, who are now part of me, and I consider them part of my family. If I could, I would do this experience a thousand times over."

Reflecting on the Experiences of O, Akemi, Paulo, and Mauricio... and many others!

Talking with O, Akemi, Paulo, and Mauricio made us reflect on many positive aspects of hosting an international student. Are you inspired to share your home with a student from a different culture? Host an international student and discover how to "expand" your family.

Learn more about Hosting

Host family experience: benefits and challenges

"The idea of welcoming someone from another part of the world into our home was intriguing, and we quickly agreed that it was something we wanted to do. My family had already been a host family before, so I was excited to offer this opportunity to our children."

Host family concerns can be:

  • What it would be like to have a stranger in our home?
  • How it would affect our family dynamics?
  • Will our own children be supportive and helpful? 
  • Will the exchange student agree with our family rules? 

"Building a relationship takes effort, and it can be challenging at times. But it's important to make consistent efforts to engage with the guest."

"I believe that hosting an exchange student not only enriches your own life but also creates an intercultural experience for the whole family. It makes it easier for your own children to consider going abroad themselves, as they see firsthand what it's like."

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