Are you a homeschool parent looking for fun and unique ways to enhance your kids' learning?
Imagine supplementing your home school with something that would help your kids:
- Be fascinated about the world and its people, past and present
- Enjoy learning around-the-clock, not just in designated “school hours”
- Internalize what they learn instead of memorizing data that will be quickly forgotten after taking a test
- Grow into compassionate adults who genuinely care for people of all walks
- Learn strong interpersonal skills that will benefit them in their career, family life, and friendships
Would you be surprised to hear that hosting an exchange student checks all those boxes?
As a veteran homeschool mom of over 25 years, I have plenty of advice to offer, and could easily share stories about mistakes I’ve made and things I’d do differently. But one thing we got right was hosting foreign exchange students.
Welcoming exchange students into our family each year created endless opportunities for learning history, geography, culture, current events, and so much more! The entire family (not just the kids!) learned in such a natural way that it felt like play.
We learned things you’d expect to learn, like how to say “Guten tag” and how to make bulgoki. But the learning went way beyond that.
We learned that communication is much deeper than words. And that gratitude can be expressed--and received--in very different ways. I was even able to guide my kids through some healthy ways to approach conflict resolution on the rare occasions when cultures clashed.
My kids (and I) learned a lot about our own culture too. Teaching our exchange students the ins and outs of American culture--and the specific culture of our home--was better than any book report or project I could have assigned.
I must admit that I enjoyed being an international ambassador of the homeschooling concept. It was rewarding to explain homeschooling to an international teen who had never heard of it, or at least had never met anyone in real life who did it.
And then to have an exchange student say, "But your kids are so normal. And they are smart!" Mission accomplished.
As a homeschool mom, the immense amount of learning was wonderful. But I have to be honest and admit that the greatest motivation to host came from the fact that hosting is fun. Really fun! So much fun that we did it 15 times!
Our exchange students did everything with us: play games, go for hikes, clean house, visit the grandparents, cook, go to church. . . They were never a boarder, but were--ARE--part of the family.
My kids now have siblings all over the world. They gained so much valuable insight, and it was one more way of growing intelligent, well-rounded adults.
A new school year is just around the corner. Make this one the best ever by adding an exchange student into the mix.
Can't host all year? No problem. You can host for a semester, or even for a few weeks as a welcome family.
A world of learning is waiting for YOU!
