Welcoming a Foreign Exchange Student Makes for Better Global Citizens

AFS-USA, a top high school student exchange program for over 75 years, invites families from the Greater Puget Sound area to host international students. Hosting allows individuals and families to learn about new cultures and share their community with someone from another country.

Jessica Andres, an AFS-USA Volunteer and Host Parent for 15 years and hosting students from Germany, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Macedonia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Saudi Arabia, and Italy, has this to say about the program:

“I’ve learned so much from my students as a person. I’ve learned patience and to be more understanding, and that comes from being a host mom and dealing with students from diverse cultures. Hosting exchange students changes people’s perspectives—the community learns a lot more and opens up their breadth of understanding.”

AFS-USA is the largest group in a global network of over 50 partners. Every year, about 1,000 U.S. families welcome high school exchange students from many countries into their homes. Families and students receive continuous help from trained staff and local volunteers. They also connect with a local chapter of volunteers, former students, and other host families, all supporting AFS's goal of building a fairer and more peaceful world.

AFS-USA works with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) to run public diplomacy programs like the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES), Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX), Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX), and the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). These programs provide scholarships and financial support for American students to study abroad, aiming to promote cultural understanding and global citizenship.

If you are interested in volunteering, hosting, or participating in an exchange program you can visit www.afsusa.org for more information.