For many international exchange students, few holidays feel more quintessentially “American” than Thanksgiving. Many Thanksgiving traditions revolve around cultural mainstays like football and comfort food, leading many international students to feel particularly excited about experiencing Thanksgiving with their American host family. What are the types of experiences international students look…
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Any International Student Exchange area representative will tell you that this job isn’t for everyone. Area representatives are a key part of ISE’s mission to bring cultures and people together through study abroad. It is not without its challenges. Superb time management, a great work ethic, and a knack for…
Being an ISE Area Representative might be a part-time job, but it often feels like it requires full-time energy. Juggling the many tasks associated with recruiting new host families, working with students, and managing everyday issues with current hosts can feel overwhelming for new reps. Thankfully, there are plenty of…
Studying in the United States can be an enormously eye-opening experience. Especially for a teen who has spent most or all of their formative years immersed in the culture of their home country. But for many incoming exchange students, their first experiences in America are certainly not their first interaction…
For Jennifer Miller — an elementary school social studies and geography teacher in Jackson County, Indiana — the exchange student experience began well before she would become an educator. During high school, Jennifer met an exchange student from Germany that would quickly become a close friend. Looking back, she…
You’ve packed your bags and bought your plane ticket. You may have even started saying your goodbyes to friends and family. The international exchange adventure is just beginning with your new host family. Before you know it, you’ll be spending a big part of your day with brand new family…
A semester or year spent living overseas as a teen elicits plenty of emotions — excitement, anticipation, and wonder just to name a few. That said, some level of discomfort and even sadness is inevitable when an exchange student embarks on an extended trip so far from home. Helping your…