Local hosts needed for international exchange students

Local hosts are needed for international exchange students who will be attending Blaine High School during the 2020-21 school year.

The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) is seeking local hosts for international exchange students. In the past, students have visited from countries such as Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain and Thailand, and they are typically 15 to 18 years old. For the next school year, CIEE will most likely have full-year exchange students, so it is looking for families that are willing to host from August 2020 to June 2021.

“Families provide a safe place for the student to sleep, eat, use the restroom and study,” said local CIEE coordinator June Hamilton. “It is almost like having an extended family member stay with you. The students are here for the purpose of educational exchange. The students attend 10th, 11th or 12th grade at one of our high schools and get to experience life in the U.S. In exchange, the family receives an unforgettable experience learning about another country.”

Founded in 1947, CIEE is the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit study-abroad and intercultural exchange organization, serving 300 U.S. colleges and universities, 1,000 U.S. high schools and more than 35,000 international exchange students each year. CIEE operates 60 study centers in 40 countries and sponsors international faculty training programs, teach-abroad programs and various specialty and custom programs for secondary, post-secondary and international students.

After completing an application online at ciee.org, applicants will be vetted through a home visit, in which CIEE will meet the prospective hosts and ensure that the exchange student will have a suitable bedroom and bathroom. It is possible for an exchange student to share a bedroom with another child, as long as they are less than four years apart and are the same gender, said Hamilton.

Applicants must live within the school district that the exchange student will be attending. They need not have children of their own. In addition to Blaine, there are spots for the Lynden and Meridian school districts. While hosts are not compensated by CIEE, they are able to take a $50-per-month deduction on their taxes for each month that they host. “It’s on a volunteer basis,” said Hamilton.

Applicants are encouraged to apply soon, so that planning can begin for the next school year. If you cannot host a student for the full school year, it may be possible to participate in a half-year placement beginning in January 2021. For more information, contact Hamilton at june0394@gmail.com or 360/361-8268.