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Host Family Articles

Host Family Blog – Bradley and Lance (2)
Blog, Host Family, Host Family Articles

Challenging Assumptions: One Host Family’s Journey with AFS-USA

Bradley and Lance are an AFS host family currently living in Madison, Wisconsin. As first-time host parents, they welcomed Daniel from Spain into their home for the 2024-25 school year.…

Venegas Host Family 1
Blog, Host Family Articles

The Lifelong Benefits of Hosting an Exchange Student for Your Children

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…

Photo 1 from David Ubogy – AFSers in Switzerland
Blog, Host Family Articles

Building a Global Family with AFS-USA

AFS-USA host parents come from all walks of life – while some are retirees or seniors who are looking for a meaningful way to devote their free time, others work…

Hosting Screen Blog – Introduction
Blog, Host Family Articles

How Do Our Students Get Here?

Introduction Have you ever wondered what the AFS student application and selection process entails? What makes a great candidate for intercultural exchange and how does AFS determine this? There are…

banner tommaso’s blog
Blog, Host Family Articles

My study abroad story from Italy to the US: an unexpected return

Tommaso Casavecchi is an AFS-USA Marketing Intern, an AFS alumnus (Italy to U.S., 2018) and a volunteer in his hometown of Florence, Italy. He just took part in another exchange…

Host family with YES program student
Blog, Host Family Articles

7 Reasons You Should Host an Exchange Student

Hosting an exchange student with AFS-USA is not only a wonderful experience for a teen from another country – it’s a unique opportunity to provide you and your family with…

QuandtsTschands1988 5
Blog, Host Family Articles

Three Generations of Hosting with AFS-USA

The Quandt family first started hosting with AFS-USA in the 1960s when they welcomed Kashu, a student from Afghanistan, into their home. This hosting experience was the catalyst for a…

Hosted Students with Mikea
Blog, Host Family Articles

Meet Mikea: AFS Host Student and Global Citizen

Mikea R. is an exchange student from Albania on the YES Scholarship Program (yesprograms.org), hosted by AFS-USA in Rockford, Illinois. Below, Mikea responds to a series of questions about why…

judyfamilysitting
Blog, Host Family Articles

Why Hosting is a Rewarding Experience

This blog features interviews from the Judy family and two students hosted by Dar Fredrickson in Pennsylvania. Both interviews were first published in “Building Bridges”, the Western Pennsylvania Area Team’s…

20 Fun Activities for you and your Exchange Student – 6
Host Family Articles

20 Fun Activities for you and your Exchange Student

Whether you’re hosting a high school exchange student or your relatives from abroad are visiting, these quintessential American activities are sure to break the ice. You’ll be creating opportunities for…

WelcomeFamily4
Blog, Host Family Articles

AFS Welcome Families make a world of difference

What is a welcome family? A welcome family provides a home and a warm welcome for a student for a few weeks to a couple of months. During this time,…

How hosting an exchange student kept me sane after study abroad
Host Family Articles

How hosting an exchange student kept me sane after study abroad

AFS/YES Abroad exchange student alumna, Carly, shares her family’s experience hosting Fionn from Germany! Hosting an AFS exchange student from Germany has been one of the best experiences for my…

How to Enrich Your Family by Hosting
Host Family Articles

How to Enrich Your Family by Hosting

After a friend of theirs decided to host an AFS Exchange Student, Margaret and Matthew C. from Michigan were curious to see what it was all about. Their son Andrew…

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Study Abroad Articles, Host Family Articles

Movies from Around the World

For the newest installment in our…From Around the World series, we delve into movies recommended by our hosted students from 80+ countries. Film reveals a lot about a specific culture,…

glenn-carstens-peters-EOQhsfFBhRk-unsplash
Study Abroad Articles, Host Family Articles

TV Shows from Around the World

For the next post in our…From Around the World series, we explore favorite TV shows recommended by our recent hosted students. Because, let’s face it, who doesn’t love TV? These…

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Host Family Articles

How one Florida dad gained another daughter

Of his time with his current exchange student, Adriana from Germany, Chris recalls making "20 million memories, the greatest of which is life."

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Host Family Articles

Bringing the world into your home: The unexpected effects of hosting an exchange student

An AFS Host Mom discusses how she and her family spread peace through understanding.

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Host Family Articles

A host sister’s perspective – Gaining a sister and an open mind

My family's experience hosting a foreign exchange student has helped shape who I am today.

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Host Family Articles

Welcoming a Host Daughter, Gaining a Friend: An Interview with Emily Humphrey

Emily Humphrey shares the heartwarming story of her relationship with her host daughter Lulu, the power of the #AFSEffect, and the value of intercultural learning.

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Host Family Articles

5 things you always wanted to know about hosting an exchange student

Hosting an exchange student is an amazing opportunity to form lasting personal bonds, share your culture and values, and expand your family’s horizons. Each year, more than 2,000 families in…

Brenda Stoll, host mom and volunteer of Independence, MO
Host Family Articles

Global family; lifetime of hosting starts with “Welcome”

We have gotten to know many wonderful young people, families and volunteers through our affiliations with AFS. Looking forward to traveling and visiting a lot of the young people.

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Host Family Articles

“What culture?” – Why rural areas are perfect for cultural exchange

Rural areas are ideal places to experience cultural exchange, from small-town high school spirit to traditional folk cultures, tightknit communities, and more!

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Host Family Articles, Alumni Articles

AFS Families create global friendships that last a lifetime

Hosting sounded like an enjoyable experience with many benefits, so Jacque and her family said “yes!” This began an international friendship that would span 55 years.

Grace from Thailand with host family
Blog, Host Family Articles

An Open Letter from a Thai AFSer on Hosting

Grace Madthing is an AFSer from Thailand who turned his experience as an exchange student into a passion for diplomacy between Thailand and the U.S. In his letter, he candidly…

stephen_zhang_cropped
Blog, Study Abroad Articles, Host Family Articles, Educators Articles, Alumni Articles

Coming Home: An Interview with AFS Alum, Stephen Zhang (China to U.S., ’07-’08)

In high school, Stephen Zhang knew he was ready for something new. He wondered what it would be like to start a new life beyond the comforts of his routine…

italian_students_cover
Blog, Host Family Articles

Why Your Family Should Host an Italian Exchange Student

In today’s era of misleading headlines and political divisions, separating fact from fiction can be tricky, especially when it comes to learning about another culture and its values. That’s a…

Jenny-Beth’s-Multicultural-Home
Blog, Host Family Articles

Jenny & Beth’s Multicultural Family: “Two is better than one”

Jenny O. and Beth R. were very familiar with foreign exchange and travel– Jenny’s family hosted students three separate times while she was in high school, they’ve lived abroad together,…

My-Multigenerational-AFS-Family-Email-Banner-v1-r1
Blog, Study Abroad Articles, Host Family Articles, Volunteer Articles, Educators Articles, Impact Articles, Alumni Articles

My Multigenerational AFS Family

It’s 2018 and I’m sitting in my grandmother’s sunny Ohio kitchen. We just went to two estate sales and are on our way to a quilting expo. She’s a consummate…

Lounibos_Family_Photo
Blog, Host Family Articles

Say “Yes!” to Hosting: The Lounibos Family

The AFS 2018 Reel Life Winners, The Lounibos Family, share their thoughts on how Lison, their host daughter, changed their lives!

My study abroad story: People welcomed me with an open heart
Blog, Study Abroad Articles, Host Family Articles

My study abroad story: People welcomed me with an open heart

Hello! My name is Aqsa and I currently live in the Pacific Northwest as an AFS Exchange Student. I came here through a scholarship called the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study…

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Contact Us

Telephone:
1 800 AFS-INFO

Address:
120 Wall Street
Suite 1600
New York, NY 10005

About AFS

AFS programs foster transformation that lasts a lifetime. Today’s exchange students are tomorrow’s changemakers: diplomats, thought leaders, and influencers in international business and non-profit sectors. Each new exchange student is a global citizen in progress—an individual ready to contribute to a more just and peaceful world.

And the impact extends beyond the students. Host families’ lives are enriched by welcoming new members from around the world, and host communities experience a broader range of cultural perspectives. That’s THE AFS EFFECT.

AFS-USA is a stand-alone non-profit organization. AFS-USA is a separate legal entity from AFS-International and is not a legal affiliate thereof. AFS-USA specifically does not espouse any programs promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DEI”) that violate any applicable United States Federal anti-discrimination laws.

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