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Host a French High School Student

Starting in 2022, the Alliance Française de Seattle is partnering with the CIEE, Council on International Educational Exchange, a non-profit organization promoting international education and exchange, for their High School USA program. 

As part of this program, we invite our community members to open their homes and become a host family for a French high school student!

  • Become a host family for 1 semester (5 months) or 2 semesters (10 months);
  • Your host student will be between 15 and 18 years old and will attend the local high school;
  • Your host student will be coming from France, and have studied English for at least 3 years;
  • To become a host family, you will be vetted by the CIEE, then matched with a student based on personality traits, hobbies, curricular or extracurricular interests, family make-up, and more.

How to become a host family

  1. Start an application HERE. When asked how you heard about the hosting opportunity, please mention AFSeattle. 
  2. For any questions about the program, you may contact the regional placement manager Nichole Hernandez by phone at (458) 212-4134 or by email at nhernandez@ciee.org.

About CIEE & High School USA

CIEE is a nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization that transforms lives and builds bridges between individuals and nations by sponsoring a wide variety of opportunities for the exchange of ideas and experiences. CIEE helps people develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world, and contributes to a more peaceful global community by humanizing international relations.

High School USA offers international students a life-changing opportunity to attend high school in the U.S. and live like an American teen: play a sport, practice English, and live in the American heartland with a welcoming host family, all while gaining skills that will last you a lifetime.

Many High School USA students say that living with a host family in the U.S. is one of the best parts about the exchange experience. 

Types of host families

CIEE host families are as varied as the students who participate in CIEE High School USA. Although the backgrounds, economic classes, and lifestyles of our host families may differ – in other words, there is no “typical” American family – all host families share an interest in young people and want to learn about another culture.

Host families come in all shapes and sizes. Some have children, while others do not; some are working families, while others are retired. CIEE strives to match students with host families based on personality traits, hobbies, curricular or extracurricular interests, family make-up, and more.

The result: the student becomes a member of the family. That means spending time together, talking, cooking, and exploring your community; it means attending festivals and local sporting events; it means grocery shopping and barbecuing in the park. More than anything, it means building relationships that span the globe and last a lifetime.

The role of the host family

  • Welcome the student into their home as a family member.
  • Provide the student with a single bed. They may or may not have a single bedroom. If not, they will share the room with a child of the same gender and approximate age.
  • Provide the student with a quiet place for study.
  • Provide the student with three meals a day, including a bag lunch on school days.
  • Provide the student with necessary transportation (or assistance in arranging transportation) to and from school.

Please note: While a host family is not the student's legal guardian, they are able to make emergency medical decisions on their behalf (due to the medical release form signed as part of the High School USA application).

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