Host a student!
Welcome an international teen into your family, and your high school!
School visitors bring fun, new perspectives to your daily routine at home and school!
HOSTING DATES
2024-2025 Academic School Year:
FALL:
OR & SW WA: Teens from Angers, France Oct 25-Nov 7
WINTER:
OR: Teens from Madrid, Spain - January 17- February 14
OH: Teens from Avignon, France - February 7-27
NM: Teens from Avignon, France- February 7-27
ID: Teens from Avignon, France- February 7-27
PA (Pittsburgh & Central PA) Teens from Avignon, France- February 7-27
SPRING:
OR & SW WA Teens From Annecy, France- Apr 11-27
WA (Seattle Area) Teens From Annecy, France- Apr 15-30
HOSTING ELIGIBILITY
This is a great program for families who have teens at home. The international teens are looking forward to speaking English, experiencing everyday life as part of your family, and shadowing their host sibling in high school.
We work with your family, the schools' administration, and language teachers to coordinate these visits.
WHY HOST?
It's great for everyone!
True to the nature of exchange, both students and host families reap the benefits that come with cultural exchanges. It's fun, it's rewarding, and you learn as much about yourself as you do about the world.
Bring the Classroom to life!
Hosting an international student can (re)ignite a curiosity for other languages, cultures, customs, cuisine, and so much more. You may have learned about French culture in your high school language class, but those lessons come alive when you are living with a teen who shares stories, recipes, and traditions from home.
Create a global family!
Although students come for just a few weeks at a time, many stay in touch with their host families for years after their trip. Sometimes students may return to visit, or host families go to their student's home to experience the other side of the exchange. Whether you see each other again in person or just stay in touch through social media, hosting can be the beginning of a life-long relationship that spans countries and continents.
Gain and share new perspectives!
Welcoming an international visitor is a great opportunity to learn about another perspective, but it also gives you the chance to reflect on your own. Sharing traditions, explaining habits and customs to your student, and discussing opinions on a variety of subjects can allow you to step back and see your own culture from the perspective of your student.
Hear what families say:
"We've hosted several exchange students in the past. My kids enjoy 'expanding' our family and having interaction with a variety of cultures without having to leave their own home. I think the experience gives them broader perspective of other cultures, the similarities of all people and piques their interest even more about the possibilities in the world that they live in."
"We have only one son at home, hosting gives him the opportunity to have a companion around all the time. Empathy, sharing, friendship, tolerance, respect—all those! Also, not only did our exchange student learn about our culture, but our son improved his French and learned about that culture."
"[My kids] learned about other cultures and foods and family customs. They enjoyed having a guest. We all enjoyed having a reason to be a tourist in our own town and seeing our city through the eyes of a visitor."
Our director, Robert Zenk, with his host family in France during college!
Why host with Andégo?
We love homestays! With students, as teachers, and in our own host families, we truly believe that homestays are best! We are dedicated to facilitating a meaningful experience for hosts and students.
We have first-hand experience traveling and living with host families. Our staff members have all lived with host families abroad and understand the joys and challenges of homestays. We are ready to support you in your cross-cultural adventure.
Andégo staff have personally visited each of our partner schools and organizations, and we work directly with these partners to coordinate each program.
You will never be a number. Our programs are small and our service is personal. We are local and directly in touch with you! We are proud of the personalized service and strong support we give our participants (and their parents, too!)