How It Works: Hosting in Families Without Kids in the House
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Even if you don’t have your own kids or your kids have grown up and moved out, you can still make a wonderful host family. In fact, our unique placement process ensures that your host student will fit in with your family and your lifestyle.
Plus, hosting an international student with CIEE is a great way to get more involved in your community. That means you can help make a difference in the life of an international student while bringing new opportunities for joy in your own life. Share your culture, explore your community, and have fun with a student who is excited to experience America. (Double placements are also available for those who would enjoy hosting two students at once!)
But don’t take our word for it. Meet Celia, an empty-nester from St. Louis, and Anna, her exchange student from Germany. Hear what Celia had to say about how much fun they had exploring their community together:
On their shared interests:
“We really have similar interests. We both like photography, we like to travel, and we are very active. We like to explore and walk the dogs; we're not ones to just sit around doing nothing. It's been a really good experience for both of us. We feel we're very compatible.”
On their shared love of food:
“[Anna has] never experienced Mexican food before she came to St. Louis. Now she loves Mexican food. That's her last request to eat before she goes back. We like seafood. She's never had lobster before, so we went to a seafood restaurant. She likes FroYo . . . That's another treat that she doesn't have at home.”
On the pure joy of hosting:
“Anyway, I always call [Anna} my sidekick because she just did everything with me that I would do. It was fun.”
All this to say that CIEE host families come in all shapes and sizes. You don’t need other kids in the house to be interesting or to offer a valuable cultural exchange experience. Your international student will be excited to meet you, get to know you, and to share in your life.
Are you ready to host? Start your host family application today!