host an exchange student
Short-Term Student Hosting
Make lasting global connections
When you host an exchange student in your home, you immerse your family in cultural learning while creating a lifelong friend and family member. We facilitate multiple youth programs per year that ask for a 1–3 week hosting commitment. If you have an extra bed and open heart, this is your chance to make global connections, introduce your family to different cultures and influence foreign affairs.
How it Works
How to host an exchange student
Most youth programs include activities from 9am to 5pm on weekdays. This leaves time for family on evenings and weekends. You get to decide how to spend that time with your international exchange student, whether that’s attending special events or simply bringing them along for the ride of everyday life.
We ask in-person hosts to provide their student a room with a bed, breakfast, dinner and weekend lunches. For virtual programs we ask hosts to have a stable internet connection, camera and microphone.
Steps to Become a Host for International Exchange Students:
1. Fill out an application found here, then Global Ties KC will follow-up via email.
2. Household members over 18 years of age fill out a background check form.
3. A Global Ties KC staff member will visit you at your home for an in-person meet-and-greet.
4. Hosts complete a host family profile for Global Ties KC to send to your visitors.
5. Once everything is complete and acceptance has been issued, keep an eye on our newsletter for upcoming programs and let us know you are interested.
6. You receive program & visitor information closer to the start date!
About Student Exchanges
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the hosts choose their student?
Global Ties KC considers many factors when pairing a household with a student (e.g. gender disbursement, ages, country diversity, pet allergies, interests). You will be informed of the selected student and provided a biography as soon as all hosts are confirmed and biographies are obtained.
What types of activities are offered to students within the program?
Department of State sponsored youth exchange programs take student leaders across the United States to promote mutual understanding and leadership skills and prepare the students to make a difference in their communities. We create fast-paced programs to achieve their individualized goals through content meetings, workshops, site visits, volunteering, high school visits, and much more. Each family receives the final program book that includes the student’s schedule, addresses, contact information, and descriptions of every agenda item for the whole program.
Am I responsible for medical emergencies?
A Global Ties KC staff member will be on call 24/7 during the program. All Department of State sponsored youth exchange participants have medical insurance during the program. Hosts are not responsible for co-pay costs. We also handle any non-emergency medical issues during work hours when we are with the students. For evening/weekend emergencies, our staff will be your first point of contact and work with you to ensure appropriate care for our students.
What are we supposed to do with our students when they aren’t with you?
Whatever you would like! A beautiful part of this program is for the students to immerse themselves in everyday American life. Whether you are a family on the go and take your students with you, or you are a family that stays in for movie nights – we hope students walk away feeling like a member of your household. There is no pressure to go above and beyond to keep them entertained 24/7. Oftentimes, the students appreciate a relaxing evening after a long day of learning.
I am a U.S. high school student. Can I participate?
For some youth programs (typically in the summer), we can invite high school aged host siblings to participate in weekday programming alongside the international participants. This is a great opportunity to become closer with the full group of international students, learn more about other cultures, meet students from across the KC Metro, and gain greater insight into the broader community through our program agenda – while having a lot of fun! All U.S. participants must be a part of a host family and the invitation is not guaranteed for any program.
How many students can I host?
Each family can take up to two visitors in their household. It has been noted that oftentimes (when possible) hosts have a more impactful and easier host experience when they host two visitors together. It helps everyone feel more comfortable quicker. We recognize that it isn’t an option for everyone though, since it requires two separate beds.
All Programs