A new report published by AFS Intercultural Programs, a leader in international youth exchange for over 75 years, demonstrates the significant community impact of cultural exchange programs and reveals the transformative impact of the hosting experience on host families worldwide.
The report, “Global Families, Global Impact: The Experience of Host Families in International Youth Exchange“, draws on a large-scale survey conducted by AFS between April and December 2023, with responses from over 3,000 former AFS host families across 76 countries. This robust dataset provides a deep and nuanced understanding of the effects of hosting international exchange students on families worldwide.
This study is the first of its kind in exploring the impact of international exchange programs on all host family members. The study emphasizes broad benefits for all family members, including expanded familial bonds, enhanced empathy, and a deeper appreciation for diversity, particularly for host siblings.
Key Findings: Hosting an Exchange Student Brings Numerous Benefits to Families
1. Host Siblings Thrive with Enhanced Socio-Emotional Learning
Host siblings gain significantly from the hosting experience, with families noting increased curiosity about different cultures and languages (60%) and enhanced social-emotional skills such as communication (47%), responsibility (26%), and confidence (21%).
2. Hosting Transforms Lives through Cultural Exchange and New Family Bonds
The survey revealed that host families consider the primary benefits of hosting to be cultural learning and exchange (76%), cultural sharing (60%), and the expansion of the family (58%).
3. Hosting Fosters Global Citizenship and Personal Growth for All Family Members
Host families reported improved adaptability, open-mindedness, valuing differences, and empathy as a result of hosting.
Why This Matters Now: Global Citizenship Begins at Home
In today’s interconnected world, the United Nations recognizes the family, in its diverse forms, as a fundamental unit across societies. Fostering global citizenship and cultural understanding within families is not just an opportunity but a necessity in our globalized era.
The post-pandemic landscape has sparked a renewed interest in international connections as families strive to rebuild social ties and cultural understanding disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing global conflicts. Hosting an exchange student emerges as a tangible way for families to engage with different cultures, nurturing curiosity and broadening worldviews right from their homes. This experience also plays a pivotal role in developing essential socio-emotional skills like communication, responsibility, and confidence, crucial for teenagers navigating a complex, globalized society.
Susana Liepa, a host parent from Latvia described her experience as follows: “Having an AFS student was an amazing experience for our family! It opened the minds of our children to the huge diversity of people in the world, of how people can be so different and from other cultures, but at the same time so close and similar. We created bonds for life. That is indescribable!”
Hosting an international student brings both rewards and challenges, as the research highlights. Despite hurdles like cultural misunderstandings and communication challenges, host families consistently find the experience transformative, citing personal growth and lasting relationships as key benefits. Nearly half (49%) of families who responded to the survey hosted exchange students more than once, with a number of families hosting more than 10 times.
Moreover, many respondents have expressed that they value the hosting experience for its enjoyment, describing it as a genuinely fun experience. Embracing playfulness and curiosity is central to AFS’s approach in preparing families for this enriching journey.
“AFS is committed to developing active global citizens, and this unique research study demonstrates the crucial role that international exchanges play for everyone involved in them,” said Daniel Obst, President and CEO of AFS Intercultural Programs. “Our world needs more intercultural understanding and empathy. By participating in international youth exchange experiences, host families can have more impactful experiences and be better equipped to contribute to a more just, equitable, and sustainable world. International education is the best investment we can make, and we encourage governments, educators and others to help ensure that intercultural exchanges and global citizenship programs are accessible to all.”
In an era characterized by societal polarization and a reliance on digital connections, hosting experiences provide fertile ground for forming lifelong bonds among people from diverse backgrounds. These bonds not only bridge cultural divides but also enrich the fabric of global understanding and cooperation.
“The report is a reminder of the urgent need for initiatives that bring people together, fostering a more cohesive and understanding global community. By transforming homes into hubs of change, AFS is helping to build a world where global citizenship and cultural understanding start within the family,” concludes Ann Andreza Martins, Deputy Chief Programs Officer at AFS Intercultural Programs.
For more information and to access the full report, visit afs.org/global-host-family-survey.
About AFS Intercultural Programs
AFS Intercultural Programs has been at the forefront of international youth exchange for over 75 years, engaging nearly 500,000 families in more than 90 countries. Each year, approximately 8,000 students and as many families participate in AFS’s life-changing exchange programs, fostering global citizenship and cultural understanding.