ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
This school year might be just about to wind down, but some groups are already making plans for the upcoming school year for students.
The ASSE International Student Exchange Program is currently seeking applications for host families, and ASSE Area Coordinator Shannon Pool said she and her staff are expecting to be busy in the coming months with that.
“Nationwide, we get about 800 students, and the midwest region actually places more students than any other region. We're currently looking for host families for the 2025-26 school year, and the deadline to place students is Aug. 31, which is a State Department guideline for everyone,” Pool said. “The ASSE International Student Exchange Program was actually originally founded by the Swedish National Department of Education and then designated by the U.S. State Department. It was originally called the American Scandinavian Student Exchange, but then it got changed to just ASSE. Students are typically 15 to 18 years old, and they come to the U.S. and typically stay for the entire school year, though we do have some students who stay for just a semester. The students arrive shortly before school starts and then typically depart back home within about 10 days of the end of the school year. Students also come with their own spending money and their own health insurance, and as far as the host families themselves, they fill out an application, and we run criminal background checks on anyone in the home who's 18 years old or older. Students can also share a bedroom with a 'sibling' of the same sex as long as the beds are separate, and the families must provide three meals a day, transportation to and from school, and overall treat the student as a member of the family. These students especially love the novelty of the big yellow school bus, a lot of them have never seen one before they come to the U.S. The students are also screened by our offices as far as overall academic achievement and English proficiency and a few other criteria.”
Pool said she hopes many families will consider being a host family through the program for the upcoming school year.
“Take that leap. A lot of people might be unsure of the unknown, and I know there are some nerves about bringing a young stranger into your home, but if you're at all interested and have ever given it even a little bit of thought, I would say go ahead and take the leap,” Pool said. “I became acquainted with the program back in 2002, when my daughter was in high school, and she met an exchange student, and it was soon after that we also signed up to be a host family. Being a host family is more than just providing a room, it's about being part of something bigger. It's a great and rewarding experience, and I can't tell you how many families have told us they've enjoyed having that energy in their home for a school year. It's also a great opportunity to bring a different culture into your community, because a lot of people don't get the chance to do a lot of traveling, especially internationally, so this is a great chance to bring a bit of the world into your home. We also have great outbound programs, so if a U.S. student wants to go abroad, we have some great opportunities for that, including scholarships. It's a wonderful opportunity, and it's a great experience for everyone.”
If a family is interested in applying, they need to fill out the application, which is available at https://asse.com/become-a-host-family/.
“Once we get that application, we do the background checks on the family and get school approval, and then once all of that is done, the family can start getting in touch with their incoming student within a couple days,” Pool said. “The total turnaround time can be fairly quick – once the application is completed, we do the background checks and then schedule a home visit with a regional rep within a couple days, depending on the family's availability, and then everything else goes from there. It's been a bit slow at the moment, especially with school still being in session and finishing up, but I expect things will start to pick up somewhat in the next few weeks with the start of summer and everyone having more free time. Right now, we're focusing more on getting the word out about us seeking host families since that's the more difficult part, but I expect in a few weeks is when we'll start seeing applications coming in.”
Pool also offered encouragement for families to get their applications in sooner rather than later.
“The sooner we get everything completed, the sooner they can start getting in contact with their incoming student and getting to know them and some of their habits and all of that,” Pool said. “That's also really beneficial for the student because that's also some extra time they'll have to work on their English skills and have everything flow better. That extra time really gives everyone time to get comfortable with each other from long distance and it's not like the student will just be thrown into their new situation with no prep beforehand.”
Pool added being a host family is a life-changing experience for everyone involved.
“You truly gain a lifelong family member. I have families who have told me they still keep in touch with their past students after years of them leaving, and the families even become friends,” Pool said. “In fact, when my daughter got married about five years ago, one of my former exchange students came all the way back from Kuwait and surprised her at the wedding, which was amazing. It's moments like that that make it all worth it.”
Overall, Pool said, she hopes to spark a lot of interest in the program.
“We're currently accepting applications, and we hope to get a lot of them! It's a great opportunity for the families and the student, so if anyone is interested at all or has any questions, they can contact me at
