Student exchange program looking for host families

Are you a proponent of cultural exchange and do you have an extra room in the house? The American Scandinavian Student Exchange (ASSE) is looking for area families to host foreign exchange students.

Originally formed in 1976 as a vehicle for student exchange between the U.S. and Sweden, ASSE has grown into an international organization which currently has over 1700 students placed in homes throughout the United States.

Designated by the U.S. State Department as an “Exchange Visitor Program,” ASSE works in partnership with organizations in over 30 different countries across the world to bring high-school students to the United States for a semester or full-length academic year.

Students are between the ages of 15 and18, undergo a lengthy screening process, and are required to have at least three years of English-language study.

They have medical and liability insurance and are provided with spending money by their own families. Host families also go through an extensive screening process, in close contact with an ASSE Area Representative.

Host families participate in the selection of the student who will be living with them. Overall, the primary expectation for host families is that they will treat the exchange student as a member of their own family.

ASSE’s stated mission is to “foster international understanding through educational and cross-cultural programs.”

More information for interested host families can be found at asse.com.