Opening Your Heart and Home
Have you ever thought about exploring another culture? Language? Customs? By hosting a Rotary Youth Exchange Student for three to five months, you and your family can experience another culture without ever having to leave home!
Without the willingness and sincerity of families who have opened their hearts and homes to students they have never met, the Rotary Youth Exchange Program would not exist. In an ever-changing world, it is important that we expose our children, our students, and ourselves to areas and people who are unlike us. It’s how we open our eyes to a global community that shares the same hopes and dreams that we do. What better way to do that than becoming a host family?
Becoming a Host Family
A variety of family structures are perfect for being host families - small, big, with many children, or no children. Host families also include working families or retired families. In placing our international students with different families during their stay, we aim to reflect real-world families to students. And we know that real families come in all shapes and sizes.
Let’s address some common concerns regarding hosting:
"I work full time and can’t entertain the student."
As a host family, your job is not to entertain the student. Your job is to open your home and treat them just as one of your own. Making sure they get to school, get a good night's sleep, and are safe and healthy!
"We don’t have any children in the home – we can’t host."
All families are welcome; students flourish in a loving home, no matter the family dynamics. A family does not need other teenagers or children in the home to make it a rewarding experience. In fact, here is a quote from a long-time hosting family:
“We have hosted students both when our children were at home and after they all left; we found the relationships with the exchange students we hosted after our children left were much deeper.”
Charlie Neu – Host Dad
"My child is going out on exchange this year, and I would rather host when they return."
Opening your home to a student while your child is away is often a wonderful way to experience what your own child is going through on their exchange. It fills that empty spot in your heart while they are gone.
At the present time, we are seeking host families for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year and the 2025-26 school year. For more information about becoming a host family, please reach out to the following individuals. We would be happy to answer your questions.
John Henderson, hederson6270@gmail.com
Amy Gee, geeam@elkhorn.k12.wi.us
Christine Lira, lirach@elkhorn.k12.wi.us