By Nathan Slauer
WKTV Community Contributor

Leaving home for an extended period of time is never easy. Yet a growing number of students from around the world are making West Michigan their home away from home.

More than 100 families across the Greater Grand Rapids area have welcomed an exchange student through International Experience (ie-USA), an organization dedicated to fostering cross-cultural interactions.

From iE-USA coordinator Sarah Boucher’s perspective, the chance to introduce someone from another country to their home can be an eye-opening opportunity. It often nudges people outside of their comfort zone and encourages them to check out their own backyard with a renewed sense of appreciation.

“Seeing the world through another lens and being a ‘hometown tourist’ can be amazing,” Boucher says.

A little bit about the process

Participants, who range between 14 to 18 years of age, take an English proficiency exam before entering the iE-USA program. Once accepted, they travel to the U.S. for five or 10 months.

Although participants undergo the same rigorous application process, they come from highly diverse cultural backgrounds. Countries of origin span Asia, Europe, and South America.

What participants share is a distinct sense of curiosity, adventure, and a desire to try something new. Visiting the U.S. brings the chance to learn about a different way of doing homelife, school, and community.

A year of “firsts”

“What’s amazing is experiencing so many ‘firsts’ with exchange students,” Boucher says. “It’s the first time having a bonfire, eating s’mores, owning clothing that has the logo of the school on it, attending a formal dance at school, going fishing, and so many more!”

Exchange students are not the only ones to encounter “firsts.” Hosts often experience wanderlust and end up traveling themselves.

The Boucher family was no exception. After hosting a student named Arturo in 2017, they visited Arturo’s family in Spain the following year.

Many hosts establish ties with students and their families that last long after the end of formal requirements. During the summer of 2022, the Bouchers invited their former exchange students Janne and Johanna from Germany back for a visit. Their house is now filled with gifts from former students, a favorite being a handcrafted and painted clay globe.

The learning curve

The adjustment for both exchange students and host families involves a learning curve. In many cases, the first night after the student’s arrival at the airport can be filled with nervous energy, according to longtime host Chris Ford.

“Usually, there’s culture shock involved and a lot of jet lag,” Ford says. “Students are so excited to come that they stay up all night.”

Seeing this transition still delights Ford, who has been a host for the last eight years. Her fourteen students traveled from locations ranging from Finland to South Korea.

Mundane aspects of American life can become fodder for selfies and videos on homemade YouTube channels. Streets filled with yellow school buses, trucks, and motorcycles burst with thunderous noise, and local grocery stores look massive.

“Many students shop at markets everyday, and they are floored by the size of Meijer,” Ford says. “There’s a whole aisle dedicated to cereal. That is shocking.”

Experiencing American schools

The educational aspect of the exchange visit brings its own surprises. Completing homework assignments and attending five or six classes instead of a single subject in a school day challenges some European students.

“Our education system is definitely different than the traditional European system,” Ford says. “Americans want to see students succeed. In the European system, there is a lot more pressure on the students, and European kids are expected to be smart, dedicated, and focused.”

Many students use the trip to practice their English skills, often with humorous results. One of Ford’s students mixed up the word “vibe” with “wipes.”

Exploring the Great Lakes state

One of Ford’s favorite parts of being a host comes from visiting the Great Lakes with her students. Beyond the fun evenings spent playing board games and cooking delicious meals, Ford loves sharing a natural beauty that will become a lifelong memory.

 

“I always take them to see Lake Michigan,” Ford says. “It’s like a large ocean. They see it in geography, but it’s a whole different thing for them to see it and put their feet in it. It’s so fun to  see them check out a lighthouse and climb up a dune.”

The process to host an exchange student begins with filling out an online form, completing a background check, and waiting to be matched up. The application process is simple and straightforward, and Ford’s advice to new hosts is to simply dive in and not be afraid to help learn along the way.

“How could you not want them to be here?” Ford says. “It’s life changing.”

About 100 students are currently available through iE-USA. More information can be found at ie-usa.org.