The Homestay program
Few experiences can spark interest in the world like opening up your home and becoming a host family for an international student. Being a host family with EF is a unique, rewarding, fun and educational experience for all members of the family and an opportunity to create long-lasting relationships. Our EF host families enjoy the chance to meet new international friends, and appreciate a great way of sharing and learning differences in languages and cultures.
With EF you can become a host family and welcome an international student into your home. You will experience a true cultural exchange, represent and demonstrate your community to the world. As a host family you become a vital part of our students’ time abroad and their experiences. Our host families become the student's home away from home, while providing a safe and comfortable environment for our students.
By becoming one of our host families you give our students a chance to experience maximum cultural immersion by living as locals – with locals. As a host family you give them the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into your local culture, pick up expressions with much greater ease and return home with a more authentic accent.
Become a host family for international students today and be part of this great cultural exchange. EF is looking for host families throughout North America and Canada. Join our host families today and offer our students a profound experience that can change their view of the world – and might change yours too.
On this site you can learn everything you need to know about becoming a host family with EF. You can browse through all our destinations in North America and Canada
Become a host family with EF today. Contact us now to learn more!
Hosting foreign students with EF
EF students travel abroad for a full immersion experience, and by hosting foreign students with EF you become an essential part of our unique programs. Host international students with EF and be the host family students dream of by offering a warm and secure way for students to immerse themselves in the daily life in their new country.
By hosting foreign students you can enrich their understanding of local culture and customs, and help your host student pick up expressions and slang with greater ease, as well as acquiring a more authentic accent. Most importantly: host students develop meaningful relationships with their families that often last far beyond the duration of their language course, and our families regularly return to host foreign students again. Hosting foreign students is a great way to experience cultural exchange and welcome an international host student into your home. It is also a way of developing lifelong connections, as well as representing your community to the world. Take the opportunity and try hosting students with EF today!
Hosting students & finding the perfect match
We want every host student and every family hosting foreign students to be fully satisfied with their homestay arrangement. Our Accommodation Manager will keep in close contact with you regarding availability of students, and we’ll do our best to accommodate any special requests. Hosting students can be a new experience to many families and our accommodation team is always ready to support you.
Hosting students & your responsibilities
We ask that our families hosting students with us provide each student with:
- A warm friendly welcome.
- A clean, comfortable well lit room, with sufficient heating, ventilation, natural light, storage for clothes and use of a table or desk.
- Bed linen and towels
- Regular access to the bathroom as per a member of your family.
- A key or access to your home at anytime.
- Assistance to find his/her way to school on their first day.
Staff support, 24 hours a day
EF staff will be with you every step of the way when hosting students: guiding you through your student’s transition to their new country; introducing you to other families in your community; and listening to your feedback & ideas for future hosting experiences.
You can be absolutely certain that when you host international students with EF, our staff is always available for you - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Host international students & the screening process
Making sure our students are welcomed into a safe and welcoming environment is absolutely vital to the success of our programs. Families wishing to host international students are carefully screened and interviewed in their homes by our experienced accommodation staff and then regularly visited and monitored to ensure high standards.
Gain a unique experience and contribute to a student’s journey of a lifetime by hosting foreign students with EF. Contact us today!