Have an International Experience from your own Home!
Happy Homestay USA places international students with American families to assist in the students assimilation with English and American culture. When a host family welcomes an international student into their home they are welcoming a new member of their family! We are always on the lookout for caring and active families to host our dynamic students.
Our students come from around the world. China, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and more! No matter where where our students come from, you are guaranteed a rich cultural experience by just having them in your home. Host families are like culture coaches, helping students integrate into an American lifestyle, so that they can be comfortable in their studies. But the most important function that Host Families serve is to be their friends! Being away from home is hard, no matter where you are from. When Host families treat their students as their own, a bond develops between them that is fulfilling and enduring.
One of our Host Families hosted a young man from Japan nearly 6 years ago. They still talk of him, and communicate with him often. He was in their family pictures during that time, and calls them his American family. We love to hear stories like this, because this is what Happy Homestay USA is all about – building constructive, beneficial relationships.
Are you interested in being a Homestay Family? Let us know!
Call (503) 838-0157
Email: homestay@elci.us
We, the Machua family from Beaverton, Oregon, hosted Ella from China for two years, and she became a daughter and sister to us. We now consider Ella as part of our family, her pictures are on our fridge and in our living room, and we communicate with her regularly via email. We feel lucky that she will be coming back to attend University only three hours away from us for the next four years and we can hop on a train or drive down to see her and vice-versa! All of our friends and family really got attached to Ella, welcomed her and she became a big part of our circle. She was awesome and as a parent, I feel so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to bond, share, and become a part of Ella’s life. She and my daughter Makayla became true sisters, playing, joking, bickering and all! I believe this experience was great for Makayla who welcomed Ella when she was eight and hugged Ella bye when she was 10. It’s a life changing experience for Makayla. Thank you Happy Homestay for an amazing experience, the great and patient coordinators that you hire and train throughly, and for being the support and life-line of the host parents during the international student exchange experience. Job well done!
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