Cultural Homestay International of SW Missouri

Join CHI & Host an Exchange Student!

If your family is interested in opening your door to the world by hosting an international exchange student, a CHI Academic Coordinator can help you find the perfect student for your family.

We are now accepting applications for Host Families in Springfield, MO and the surrounding areas. We have many great international students available for Fall 2014 from a wide range of countries.

About CHI

CHI is dedicated to carefully matching international exchange students with wonderful American host families and U.S. high schools. Every year high school-aged youth from over 30 countries around the world participate in CHI’s high school foreign exchange program – the Academic Year Program (AYP). As a U.S. Department of State designated J-1 visa program sponsor, CHI adheres to the highest level of program compliance. Host families can feel confident that they are participating in a quality educational and cultural foreign exchange program.

What is a Host Family?

Host families are the backbone of the CHI Academic Year Program (AYP). By volunteering and opening your home and heart to the world’s young people, you are donating to them an uncommon gift: an offer of friendship, a willingness to share themselves and their way of life, and a genuine interest in learning about culture and customs.

When you host an international exchange student, your family begins sharing similarities, exploring differences and seeing the U.S. through a fresh perspective of an inquisitive teenager. Imagine your family learning a simple Chinese greeting, cooking a traditional Brazilian meal or having a lively discussion about the political climate in Slovakia. With students representing 30+ countries, you will have the enriching opportunity to welcome a small part of the world into your home!

What do Host Families do?

• Provide a home and meals for a student 
• Host a  student for one or two semesters
• Provide a nurturing environment
• Provide student with American experiences

CHI Students:

• Speak English and are in the U.S. to study American government / history and to improve English skills
• Arrive to the U.S. with their own spending money
• Have medical insurance 

Check out photos of our 2013 CHI students!