By on July 4th, 2015
Do you know about homestay programs? These vary from place to place, but there are now formal agencies that work with international students and interns as well as American households to create homestay situations. The student comes from abroad to study or serve as an intern in a large firm, and the host or hosts provide them with their own bedroom, along with a range of options.
For example, if a student opts to attend Mesa Community College near Tempe, AZ they can work with a homestay provider to help them find a host that will give them room and full board, along with transportation for their two years of study. In exchange for this, the host or host family receives financial compensation.
While that is a very cut and dry explanation of the system, it is important to understand that working as a homestay provider is much more than just serving as a host and getting paid for it.
The Many Benefits
When you opt to open your home to an international student or intern, you are going to enjoy learning all about them and their culture. You provide that person with a safe and friendly setting in which to improve their English, learn about the U.S., and share details about themselves and their homeland.
You can work with a homestay agency that implements a very careful matching process to be sure that you are what the student or intern needs and that they are a good match to you and your household. It won’t be all about fees and arrangements, and the very best firms have 24/7 customer service to ensure that everything goes smoothly no matter how long the student will be staying.
The host does not need any sort of experience in order to serve in this capacity. All that is required is a willingness to open the home and supply any services offered. For instance, you are near Miami, FL and have opened your home to students attending nearby schools or serving in internships, you may opt to offer only the room or you can the full way and offer the room with full board.
This means that you will enjoy at least one daily meal with the student or intern, and have the chance to get to know more about them, the foods of their homeland, and so much more. There are also some programs that allow their hosts to offer transportation, as well, and here too you can do your part to support the student by getting them to their campus and helping them to familiarize themselves with the city or area in a relaxed manner.
A homestay is a wonderful way to earn a bit of income from what might remain an empty bedroom in your home or apartment. However, almost all families or individuals who have opened their homes to international students and interns say that it was rewarding in ways that had nothing to do with the money.
If you want a rare opportunity to serve as a sort of ambassador for your city or even your country, a homestay arrangement will give you that chance. You get to welcome students from all backgrounds and with all kinds of interests, and as you help them to learn about everyday life in the U.S., you also get to discover what their lives are like back home. This sets the stage for lifelong friendships and is a wonderful way to make positive impacts on what can be our crazy modern world. With premium homestay services available, it just makes sense to explore your options.