BOZEMAN — International Cultural Exchange Services, which places exchange students with families, is seeking at least 5 to 10 local families to host exchange students for the upcoming school year, with an August 15 placement deadline approaching. Exchange students would attend local high schools in Bozeman, Belgrade, Manhattan, Three Forks, and Livingston.
"It's not every day you get to pick out your family member," said Sierra Fein, a host family coordinator.
Fein and her family hosted an exchange student named Aituar from Kazakhstan this past school year. During his stay, Aituar joined Gallatin High's basketball team, visited Disneyland, and saw the ocean for the first time.
The experience was also enriching for Fein's family. "We would look up recipes so we could learn how to cook Kasik food," Fein said. She even learned some Russian phrases, demonstrating how to say "sweet dreams and good night" in Russian.
WATCH: Share Your Family, Embrace the World: Host a Student this School Year
Fein's family made their hosting decision just two weeks before Aituar flew to the U.S. They initially planned to host him for only six to eight weeks, which is an option for families not wanting to commit to a full school year, but ended up hosting him for the entire year.
"He just really added a lot of humor to our family," said Zoe Wolff, Fein's daughter, who attended high school with Aituar.
Wolff enjoyed having another brother in the house. "Maybe you just expect it to be having a stranger living in your home, but really, they become part of your family, and I think that's the best part. Like, all of these family memories we have, Aituar is in them now and we'll remember him forever," Wolff said.
With the new school year approaching quickly, exchange students need to be placed by August 15.
"The bottom line is, if we don't have a family lined up, we can't have the student come," Fein said.
Fein emphasizes that hosting is an accessible opportunity for many types of families. Exchange students have their own spending money and health insurance, while host families provide meals and a home.
She notes that families don't need to have teenage children to host. Fein herself hosted an exchange student when her kids were toddlers.
"I also feel like sometimes people think that you need a teenage kid at home, and when they were little, it was amazing. Even with 3 and 4-year-old kids, they loved the experience. It wasn't harder for me," Fein said.
For the students involved, the connections formed are meaningful. "We were all there for each other and, like, I feel like that's what made us feel like a family," Wolff said.
Another exchange program families can apply to is the Bozeman Sunrise Rotary Club’s program, where a local student can apply to go on a long-term exchange to another country for about a year and then host one of the students they stayed with abroad back home in Montana.
Families interested in hosting an exchange student through International Cultural Exchange Services can reach out to Sierra Fein at 406-570-2218 or sfein@icesusa.org.
