How long do families host students?
ECI Group Program students normally live with their host families for 2-3 weeks. Some Immersion Program students may stay as long as six weeks; however, most do not stay more than four weeks. If the length of time is an issue or you have a conflict, we are happy to arrange a second host family for your student. We have on-call staff who can assist you should anything come up when you are hosting. We are flexible!

How old are the students?
ECI’s foreign students are usually between the ages of 14 and 18, although occasionally we have students who are slightly younger or older. All students are first carefully screened and must be recommended by a teacher in their local school (overseas) before they are accepted into the program.

What do the students do when they are here?
ECI has both Group Program and Immersion Program students. We encourage our host families to think about what type of student would be the best fit in their home:

Hosting a Group Program student - If you’re a working family, hosting a student on a group trip may be the right choice for you. Students on group trips are entertained during the day by local leaders and chaperones, usually from 9 am – 5 pm.

As a host family for a student on a group tour, you would spend time with your student in the evenings and on the weekends. You would normally provide the student breakfast and dinner, and an occasional bag lunch (some students prefer to regularly take lunch with them each day, but many enjoy buying food at our daily destinations).

A day in the life of a Group Program student

Hosting an Immersion Program student - If you are a stay-at-home parent, self-employed, retired, or have a flexible schedule, you may be interested in hosting an immersion student. Immersion students spend the day with you, accompanying you and your family during daily activities.

Immersion students really want to experience what it is like to be a member of an American family and love to get involved in even the simplest activity like grocery shopping, errands, or even going to school or summer school with your children (the latter would need prior approval by the school; ECI is happy to assist in such planning).

Are host families paid to host?
ECI does not pay families to host students. We have found that families who look to profit from hosting are not as likely to create the same supportive family environment for their host student. ECI has had tremendous success finding families like you who see hosting as an enriching opportunity for the whole family. That being said, we want to make sure that all families who wish to host are able to do so. If providing meals for your host student will put financial stress on your family, ECI is happy to step in with support.

ECI invites you and your family and friends to join us on any of the group events, excursions, and bus tours. The bus tours are free for you, and any entrance fees or tickets are reduced priced group tickets. Just let us know at the Host Family Orientation meeting or the Welcome Party (for Group Program students only) and we would love to have you join us!

What are my specific responsibilities?
First and foremost, you should be ready to have a new and exciting experience with your exchange student! Aside from the obvious responsibility of providing a safe, homelike environment – a home away from home – to your student, your logistical responsibilities are:

1. Provide a place to sleep (more about this later)
2. Provide meals.

The Group Program students will need to meet the group each day at the pre-determined Meeting Place near your home. At the beginning of the program, please show your student how to arrive at the Meeting Place (via public transportation or on foot) if you are not able to drive your student.

What should I do with my student on the weekends?
The sky’s the limit! Any activity you would do with your family is a great chance for your student to learn and participate in American life. You don’t have to do anything elaborate; many students love having “down time” with you on the weekends to cook, go to a movie, or go swimming. You can venture out hiking, go shopping, or go on an excursion (Tahoe, Yosemite, Monterey/Carmel, and Muir Woods have been favorites of host families in the past).

Students love seeing areas outside of the Bay Area, though such excursions are by no means necessary. The students know that they are responsible for paying for any entrance fees or tickets when they are with their families at night or on the weekends. Please note: If you do go out of town, you must let the Local Leader know where you will be and how to contact you.

What if my student gets sick or hurt?
All students are fully insured for the duration of their stay in the U.S. Their insurance requires them to pay up front and bring home a receipt and statement of diagnosis from their doctor for reimbursement. Prior to the start of the trip, ECI will provide you with the student’s Medical Authorization form.

In the case of a medical emergency, please take care of your student’s needs first and then contact the Local Leader and/or European Chaperone as soon as possible for advice and support. If the problem is not an emergency, contact the chaperone or local leader prior to obtaining medical treatment. Any one of the three of you may respond to the student’s needs.

What else do I need to know?
Of utmost importance in the household is the availability of a separate bed for your host student. He or she does not need a separate room, but a separate bed is mandatory. Unfortunately, we are not able to place students in homes where they would be sleeping on air mattresses or mattresses on the floor.

How do I sign up?
Welcome on board! The first step is to fill out the Online Hosting Form. An ECI representative will contact you to set up a preliminary meeting. In this meeting, the ECI representative will provide you with more detailed information, discuss logistics of the ECI program, answer any questions you may have, and show you student applications. You will complete a more detailed application form about your family, including contact details of personal references. You can often even select your potential host student at this point!

What happens after I sign up?
Once you have selected your student, ECI will ask you to write a letter of introduction to that can be sent by mail or email. Students are excited and curious about their future host families. Writing a letter describing your community and family helps them envision their experience as an exchange student. Students love to see photos of your family, your pets, the bedroom where they will stay, or any other photos of interest.

If you did not receive a letter from your student initially, you will! This is always an exciting moment for the American host families in the approach to the student’s arrival.

There will be a Host Family Orientation Meeting for all families hosting a Group Program student a few days prior to the students’ arrival. This meeting almost always takes place in the program town (near your home). The Local Leader (and often the Host Family Coordinator) will conduct this meeting along with an ECI office representative. At this meeting, you will receive the latest trip itinerary and student Namelist (please note that you may receive the finalized versions when the students arrive). The final trip itinerary will be discussed, and you will have an opportunity to ask any questions about the trip and your imminent hosting experience! You may also sign up to participate in various activities and excursions that will take place during the program. We love it when host families and children join us on our excursions!

If you are hosting an Immersion Program student, an ECI representative will contact you prior to the student’s arrival to answer any final questions and discuss the details of the student’s stay with you. Students will also receive orientation materials and cultural information before leaving their home country.