Families and Individuals Sought to Host International Students for One Night in June or July
Homestays are opportunities for cultural exchange
Want to learn about a different part of the world and never leave your home?
The UMass Civic Initiative is looking for individuals or families to participate in the Summer 2024 Homestay Program. A homestay brings together one or two international undergraduate students with local individuals or families in the Pioneer Valley. The experiences are overnight and last from lunchtime on the first day through lunchtime the next day.
The Civic Initiative has been running exchange programs in the valley since 2003. We have over 1,500 alumni from all over the world and homestays have been a crucial part of the exchange experience!
Since we started, the international students have consistently told us that the homestay is the most rewarding part of their stay here. Our hosts say that the casual conversations that take place open up whole new insights into the society, culture, and politics of both the U.S. and other countries. Plus, hosts’ young children are given an early glimpse of world diversity.
What is an ideal host? An eligible family will live no more than an hour’s drive from Amherst. Besides meals, hosts can arrange local activities like a movie, walk, or sporting event. Civic Initiative staff will handle the drop-off and pick-up transportation. We will also provide you with any students’ social or dietary information in advance. A typical guest number is two students.
We are looking for homestay hosts for the following weekends for a one-night stay:
- June 21-22
- June 28-29
- July 5-6
- July 12-13
Note: We strictly follow CDC guidelines regarding testing and quarantine guidelines.
If you are interested in becoming a host or have questions, please get in touch with Theresa Wodecki, Civic Initiative Financial and Administrative Assistant at twodecki@donahue.umass.edu or 413-575-1709. Learn more about the Civic Initiative: www.donahue.umass.edu/Civic.
May 21, 2024
