Studying in the United States can be an enormously eye-opening experience 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 with American culture. After all, one […]
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 remembers how her early experiences […]
You’ve packed your bags, bought your plane ticket and may have even started saying your goodbyes to friends and family — but the international exchange adventure is just beginning. Before you know it, you’ll be spending a big part of your day with brand new family members with different traditions, beliefs, and preferences than yours. […]
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 student adapt to and embrace […]
Virtually every international student comes to the United States with some idea of their goals academically. After all, studying abroad is still very much that — spending time in an American classroom, learning alongside other teens and receiving grades just like a normal high-schooler. But for cultural exchange students, the lessons learned during a semester or […]
There are plenty of reasons to spend a semester or year living and studying abroad, from learning about new cultures to forging lasting relationships with people all around the world. But for many teens and their families, studying abroad is a very big step both emotionally and financially. Many stop and wonder: will studying abroad […]
New food, new people, a new environment… nearly all of us enjoy trying something “new” on vacation. Whether you’re a beach bum or an outdoor enthusiast, just about everyone enjoys ditching their daily routine and doing something out of the ordinary every once in a while. But for some especially adventurous people, just a few […]
Only a decade or two ago, international travel and cultural exchange looked very different than it does today. While handwritten letters and the occasional phone call used to be the preferred method for international communication, nowadays technology like Skype and Facetime allows exchange students to have face-to-face conversations with family and friends back home virtually […]
Only a decade or two ago, the concept that students could interact with their peers from around the world on a regular basis was hardly feasible. But with the rise of social media and communication technologies like Skype and WhatsApp, modern students are more connected to the world around them than ever before. With that, […]
Whether you are just wrapping up your latest hosting experience or are getting ready to host your very first, you might already be thinking: “Should I host another exchange student?” Opening your home to a foreign student is a hugely rewarding experience for families and individuals across the United States. With ISE alone, more than […]