Archive by Author

5 Reasons to Host an Exchange Student

Every year, Student Ambassador Exchange helps students from all around the world connect with host families in the US. As a host family, you’ll welcome an exchange student into your home while they study in your local high school. It’s a great opportunity for students and host families to experience new cultures, create memories together, and make lasting friendships. You’ll be surprised at what you learn about yourself and the student as you get to know one another!

Why Host an Exchange Student?

Learn About New Cultures

Hosting an exchange student is an amazing way to learn about other cultures without having to leave your home! Our students are excited to share their own heritage with their host families (in addition to learning about American culture). You can learn about the student’s native language, traditional food, holidays and festivals, and more.

Bring Excitement into Your Home

When you host a student from another country, activities that you do regularly suddenly become new adventures with your student! For example, activities like going to a restaurant and watching sports seem like special events when you’re introducing them to your student for the first time. This can revitalize your family activities and inspire you to explore your local community with them!

Improve Your Communication Skills

If you’re learning your student’s native language, practicing speaking with them is a great way to improve your skills. Also, learning to communicate with someone despite a language barrier is an important skill that you gain through hosting. You’ll improve your ability to connect and relate to others with a culture different from your own!

Make Lifelong Friendships

Host a student and make lifelong friendships with them! Hosting allows you to establish a meaningful connection with someone that you otherwise might never have met. Oftentimes our students and host families keep in touch with each other after the student returns home. Maybe you’ll even get to visit the student and their family in their home country!

Do a Good Deed

By hosting an exchange student, you’re making a positive impact on their life! You’re helping them adjust to another country while ensuring they feel safe, supported, and a part of your family. As a host family, you play an important part in helping students grow and develop.

Are you interested in hosting an exchange student? We are currently matching students for the 2018-2019 school year! Visit our photo listing to meet our available students and check back regularly to meet any new students added. Contact us today to find out how you can change one student’s life through education and cultural exchange!

Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year from all of us at Student Ambassador Exchange! Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China. It is celebrated around the world. The holiday begins on the Chinese Lunar New Year and lasts about 15 days. A different animal from the Chinese zodiac is celebrated each year, and 2018 is the year of the dog!

Chinese New Year is a time for families to get together. Traditions include feasting on New Year food like dumplings, giving red envelopes with “lucky” money, watching lion dances, and setting off fireworks. The color red is popular during festivities because it symbolizes happiness, prosperity, and good luck in Chinese culture. Common greetings include”Xīnnián kuàilè” (meaning “New Year happiness”) and “Gōngxǐ fācái” (meaning “happiness and propserity”).

Want to learn more about Chinese culture?

You can host a Chinese student and learn about their holiday traditions! We are currently matching students for the 2018-2019 school year. Visit our photo listing to meet our available students and check back regularly to meet any new students added. Contact us today to find out how you can change one student’s life through education and cultural exchange!