International Student Exchange seeks host families in West Michigan

WEST MICHIGAN — As international travel returns to normal after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. International Student Exchange is looking for families to open up their homes — and hearts — to high school students from around the world.

The nonprofit organization, which first opened in 1982, pairs prospective host families with students 15-18 years old from over 40 countries interested in having the American high school experience.

“Most U.S. families don’t think about ever sending a child across the world for a whole school year, so the concept may seem different,” said ISE’s Lauren Erndteman. “Some people think they have to have major trips or an extravagant life. We always say that your ordinary life will be extraordinary to an exchange student.”

Along with her team of ISE representatives, Erndteman works to find host families around West Michigan through means such as social media, local events, and school connections. She then shares students profiles with hopeful families and, once a match is found, helps them fill out the host application and get their student connected with their family away from home.

After having the summer to get to know their host family, the student will arrive a week before school begins and will return to their home country a week or so after the school year ends.

Erndteman said most international students will study and live with their American host families for a full academic year, although some may choose to spend a semester abroad in the U.S.

“People sometimes dismiss being a host family if they are empty nesters or they think ‘Oh, I have little kids, we can’t host’ or ‘I don’t have any kids at all’ or they’re maybe not married or a same-sex couple,” Erndteman said. “We look for all sorts of host families, everyone can host; we even have grandparents who host and they call themselves host grandparents instead of parents.”

ISE requires that host families provide their international student with a bed, either in their own room or in a shared room with a host sibling, a space to study, three meals a day, and reasonable transportation to after school activities. Host families aren't required to know their student’s native language as students are encouraged to practice their English throughout the exchange.

Hosting an international student gives families the opportunity to facilitate the experience of a lifetime, regardless of how “mundane” their home life may seem. Erndteman said international students not only use their time in the ISE program to learn about U.S. culture but also get the traditional American high school experience, which is often different from school life in their home country.

“Relationships and family traditions, those are the most meaningful things a student can experience,” said host mother Halee in an ISE testimonial. “Going to an American high school, having a locker, riding in a yellow school bus to games, going to prom and celebrating Thanksgiving, these are the things that don’t take up space in their suitcase, only in their hearts.”

ISE programs are impactful for students as well as their host families, who not only learn about their student’s native language and culture, but also widen their worldview.

Erndteman said families often view hosting an international student as bringing another son or daughter into their family.

“We have families who have students here right now, and they have already or they are already looking at students for next year,” Erndteman said. “At the beginning, they’re just taking someone in thinking ‘OK, I just want to make the students’ dream come true of going to high school.’ By the end of it, I’m almost certain that when they have to drop that student off to go home, there will be tears even from dad.”

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Some host families even create a “second family” of students from around the world who connect and build sibling-like relationships.

“Our Japanese student exchange son came back to visit while our German exchange daughter was here. This international ‘sibling’ duo became lifelong friends. We now visited Japan to see him get married and she (German daughter) was at the wedding as well,” host mother Christina said in an ISE testimonial.

To learn more about ISE’s programs or submit a host family application, visit midwest.iseusa.org or contact Erndteman at lauren@iseusa.org or by phone at 231-571-0678.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: International Student Exchange seeks host families in West Michigan