--- title: ICES Blog (18) description: This blog is our means of sharing what we love most—seeing exchange students, host families, and the global community growing closer together through youth exchange. It’s also a way for us to do what we love to do—provide support to students and host families to help them have the best experience possible, and help those who are not (yet) an exchange student or host family understand why they should consider getting involved. (18) --- [![ices@2x](https://blog.icesusa.org/hs-fs/hubfs/ICES_Logo_%20sm_wht.png?width=77&name=ICES_Logo_%20sm_wht.png)](https://www.icesusa.org/)   - [INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS](https://www.icesusa.org/international-student-exchange-programs/) - [HOST A STUDENT](https://www.icesusa.org/host-a-student-overview/) - [AMERICAN STUDENTS](https://www.icesusa.org/american-student-exchange-programs/) - [WORK WITH US](https://www.icesusa.org/student-exchange-careers-and-partnerships/) - [ABOUT US](https://www.icesusa.org/about-us-overview/) - [CONTACT US](https://www.icesusa.org/contact-ices/) - [BLOG](https://blog.icesusa.org) [Let's Talk](https://blog.icesusa.org/contact)subscribe ### I’d like to learn more about Campaign Creators! # Welcome to Our Blog, It's Good to See You Subscribe to our blog today! ### Pick a topic, any topic. - [Recent Posts](https://blog.icesusa.org) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Marie%20Langer%20headshot%20(2).jpg) By [Marie Langer](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/marie-langer) On January 22, 2022 ## [A Lifetime Experience](https://blog.icesusa.org/a-lifetime-experience) My name is Marie Langer. I’m a 17-year-old French teenager and my biggest dream was always to be an exchange student in the US. I... *( read )* Tags: [Cultural Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-exchange), [Exchange Student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/exchange-student), [Student Experience](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/student-experience) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brenda%20headshot.jpg) By [Brenda Padilla Ericksen](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brenda-padilla-ericksen) On January 14, 2022 ## [Hosting an Exchange Student Gluten-Free](https://blog.icesusa.org/hosting-an-exchange-student-gluten-free) Is it difficult to host an exchange student on a [gluten-free diet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free_diet)?  *( read )* Tags: [Host Families](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-families), [Host an exchange student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-an-exchange-student), [Gluten-Free](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/gluten-free) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brenda%20headshot.jpg) By [Brenda Padilla Ericksen](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brenda-padilla-ericksen) On December 17, 2021 ## [How to Have an International Christmas!](https://blog.icesusa.org/how-to-have-an-international-christmas) Hosting an exchange student transforms Christmas into an international event. What could be more fun than sharing your Christmas... *( read )* Tags: [Exchange Student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/exchange-student), [Holidays](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/holidays), [Host an exchange student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-an-exchange-student), ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Kari%20Owens%20headshot2.png) By [Kari Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/kari-owens) On December 10, 2021 ## [November Student of the Month](https://blog.icesusa.org/november-student-of-the-month) Leonie Laffitte has been selected as the ICES Student of the Month for November. Leonie is from [Castres, France](https://www.britannica.com/place/Castres) and is living... *( read )* Tags: [Cultural Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-exchange), [Student of the Month](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/student-of-the-month), [Study Abroad](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/study-abroad) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Kari%20Owens%20headshot2.png) By [Kari Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/kari-owens) On December 3, 2021 ## [Hangin' Loose in Hawaii](https://blog.icesusa.org/hangin-loose-in-hawaii) ICES staff members spend their days providing exchange students with the valuable opportunity to learn, experience, and enjoy a... *( read )* Tags: [Cultural Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-exchange), [Local Coordinator](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/local-coordinator), [Travel for free](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/travel-for-free) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Kari%20Owens%20headshot2.png) By [Kari Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/kari-owens) On November 24, 2021 ## [Pictures of Gratitude](https://blog.icesusa.org/pictures-of-gratitude) In preparation for Thanksgiving, we launched a photo contest in which we asked our students and host families to share captioned... *( read )* Tags: [Host Families](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-families), [Host an exchange student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-an-exchange-student), [Student Experience](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/student-experience), ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brenda%20headshot.jpg) By [Brenda Padilla Ericksen](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brenda-padilla-ericksen) On October 29, 2021 ## [Take Two: Hosting after a Storm](https://blog.icesusa.org/take-two-hosting-after-a-storm) A few years ago, the Browns' first exchange student literally stormed out of their home, leaving them heartbroken. Fortunately,... *( read )* Tags: [Host Families](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-families), [Cultural Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-exchange) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Kari%20Owens%20headshot2.png) By [Kari Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/kari-owens) On October 21, 2021 ## [Host Families' First Impressions](https://blog.icesusa.org/host-families-first-impressions) A few weeks ago, we shared our students' first impressions of life in the U.S. Now we'll give our host families a turn to share... *( read )* Tags: [Host an exchange student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-an-exchange-student), [Reasons to host](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/reasons-to-host) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brenda%20headshot.jpg) By [Brenda Padilla Ericksen](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brenda-padilla-ericksen) On October 14, 2021 ## [10 Reasons to Limit Contact with Home](https://blog.icesusa.org/10-reasons-to-limit-contact-with-home) It seems cruel to [limit a foreign teenager's contact with family and friends back home](https://blog.icesusa.org/how-often-should-my-exchange-student-contact-home). Why on earth would anyone suggest such a... *( read )* Tags: [Culture Shock](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/culture-shock), [Youth Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/youth-exchange), [cultural understanding](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-understanding), ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brenda%20headshot.jpg) By [Brenda Padilla Ericksen](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brenda-padilla-ericksen) On September 21, 2021 ## [How to express appreciation in the USA](https://blog.icesusa.org/how-to-express-appreciation-in-the-usa) Do you want your host family to adore you? Then this post is for you! *( read )* Tags: [Cultural Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-exchange), [American values](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/american-values), [Gratitude in the USA](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/gratitude-in-the-usa) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Kari%20Owens%20headshot2.png) By [Kari Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/kari-owens) On September 15, 2021 ## [They're Here! First Impressions of the U.S.](https://blog.icesusa.org/first-impressions) Have you ever wondered what it's like for an exchange student to arrive in the U.S.? What cultural differences stand out to them?... *( read )* Tags: [Student Experience](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/student-experience) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brenda%20headshot.jpg) By [Brenda Padilla Ericksen](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brenda-padilla-ericksen) On September 8, 2021 ## [Don't Make My Mistake!](https://blog.icesusa.org/dont-make-my-mistake) The first time we [hosted an exchange student](https://www.icesusa.org/host-a-student-overview/), the coordinator gave us a list of topics to discuss with our new student. *( read )* Tags: [Host Families](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-families) [VIEW MORE](https://blog.icesusa.org/page/19) ### Posts by Tag - [Cultural Exchange (141)](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-exchange) - [Exchange Student (106)](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/exchange-student) - [Host Families (97)](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-families) - [Host an exchange student (78)](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-an-exchange-student) - [Youth Exchange (68)](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/youth-exchange) ## Subscribe to Our Blog Today! ![Boris\_ICES\_Ads](https://blog.icesusa.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Boris_ICES_Ads.png?width=749&height=698&name=Boris_ICES_Ads.png) - [INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS](https://www.icesusa.org/international-student-exchange-programs/) - [HOST A STUDENT](https://www.icesusa.org/host-a-student-overview/) - [AMERICAN STUDENTS](https://www.icesusa.org/american-student-exchange-programs/) - [WORK WITH US](https://www.icesusa.org/student-exchange-careers-and-partnerships/) - [ABOUT US](https://www.icesusa.org/about-us-overview/) - [CONTACT US](https://www.icesusa.org/contact-ices/) - [BLOG](https://blog.icesusa.org/) © 2019 ICES - INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE SERVICES - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.