Hummingbird®

Homestay Programs

Homestay exchange programs are a great way for school communities and families to learn about other cultures. Make a life-long friend from another country.

Explore

HOST A CHAPERONE

Host a chaperone in your community for an upcoming exchange program.

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HOST A STUDENT

Host a student in your community for an upcoming exchange program.

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TRAVELING APPLICATION

Traveling to the US on an exchange program?

Custom Itineraries

If you have activities in mind, let us do all the group bookings. If not, we can create the perfect itinerary for your group.

Side-trip

Most of our schools choose to book a one-night, two-day hotel stay in a major city before returning home.

Full Service

We handle documents, payments, safety protocols, communication with parents, and more.

First off, I'd like to say how impressed I was with our trip to France and the organization of your crew and Hummingbird. Everything went smoothly and we had a wonderful experience. Thank you for your hard work putting this together. ~ Helen Rowell, Teacher

'Thank you! This has been by far the best life experience we have ever had!! These students have been part of our family this last week and a half. They are so kind and grateful for everything. Thank you for allowing us to show them our American family. ~Delores A., Host Family Mom

OVERVIEW

Opening hearts and minds

These short-term exchange programs can be organized as a one-way exchange, a reciprocal exchange, or an alternating-year exchange.

European schools typically travel to the States in the fall, but sometimes, we do have schools that want to travel during the spring. The homestays can be anywhere from 8 - 12 days and schools can choose to book an overnight hotel stay in a major city.

American schools normally travel during school vacations in February or April.

Hummingbird can personalize homestay exchanges that are safe and educational for students. We pay close attention to the important details that matter to families and teachers. We know how to handle trip interruptions due to unforeseen circumstances. We have experience vetting our suppliers to ensure the group is provided with reliable transportation, security, and hotels that are situated in safe locations.

We offer 24-hour support during these programs to give families and teachers peace of mind when traveling with students.

The Details

For traveling schools

Locations

Homestay programs are typically run in rural communities (usually within 2 hours of a major city, ie. Boston, New York, Philadelphia, etc...) If you already have an established exchange partner, we are happy to organize and book the logistics only!

Host Families

American host families come from all religious and cultural backgrounds. Your students should expect to be in a home that may be vastly different from what they are used to.

Group Parameters

Maximum group size of 20 students, and 2 chaperones per program
Traveling students may be placed in the same home as other traveling students
Traveling students may be placed in homes without high school age students (we will designate a school ambassador on school days)
Maximum length of homestay program is 12 days with families (add-on tours can be arranged)
Final program itinerary will be determined by confirmed host communities
Priority of placements will go to schools that agree to a long-term reciprocal exchange

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What if I have a large group (over 20) that wants to be hosted in the same area (community)?

A: We will reach out to one primary school and other schools to host the totality of your group. We cannot guarantee they will be in the same area. These groups may follow different itineraries.

Q: Will my group be hosted by one school?

A: Our goal is one school, but this can never be guaranteed. We will find as many families as we can to agree to hosting in one school, and simultaneously will look for other interested school(s) to host any travelers not able to be placed in the primary partner school.

Q: How do you evaluate host families without high school children?

A: Families who sign up to host must agree to host more than one student, so the traveling students can be with a peer. We hire a representative to visit each home to conduct a home/safety inspection. We follow the same process for all families, with or without high school children, who volunteer to host.