Woodinville Families Need to Host Foreign Students

AFS-USA Greater Puget Sound needs host families for foreign students arriving Aug. 10. The nonprofit organization that has been placing student exchange students for more than 60 years is having a hard time finding enough families willing to open their homes.

“This year we have over 55 students coming to the Puget Sound from over 40 different countries and we want them to be placed in tight-knit communities like Woodinville,” said Chelsea Smith, Team Development Specialist for the Greater Puget Sound team.

Host families are not paid and in these tough economic times, and that could be a stumbling block for some families strapped for cash, Smith added. “That being said, it is impressive how often I've seen middle-income families make room for one more.”

Families are asked to provide a bed (shared bedroom with same-sex sibling is okay), three meals a day and coordinate transportation to and from school. “Our students come with spending money and full medical coverage. They are expected to pay for themselves if they want to go shopping or to the movies,” Smith told Patch. “However if the family is going out to eat or wants to take a road trip, for example, the family would hopefully be inclined to include the student just as they would any other member of the family. It's true that many families do travel with their exchange students as it is an opportunity to do things your family wouldn't normally do. But for many of these kids, every day is a new and stimulating cultural experience. Simply attending an American high school Prom dance may be their biggest dream fulfilled.” 

The organization also has a group of students who come on full scholarships funded by the Department of State. “It's part of our Public Diplomacy Initiative and it works with countries of the former soviet union and also countries with predominantly Muslim populations. Many of these scholarship students have never even left their city before, let alone country,” Smith said. “I have met AFS students who had never gone to a movie theater before coming to America. I've also met some AFS students who have traveled all around the world in their young lives. So it definitely runs the gamut - we do our best to match the right student with the right family based on their interests and preferences.” 

While hosting a student does add some expenses to the family budget, Smith said the value of the exchange really extends well beyond the length of the program. “Not only do you get to have a cultural experience without leaving your home, but if you maintain contact with your student you always have a place to visit in the future.”

Interested host families can go to http://www.afsusa.org/host-family/ and search for students looking for homes by zip code, or by calling 1-800-AFS-INFO.