Sometimes hosts meet students at the airport and occasionally house them for a day or two until they find permanent accommodations. Students do not live permanently with the host, nor do hosts assume financial responsibility. Students are matched on the basis of common interests with a volunteer host for a period of one year. Hosts then include students in some of the things they ordinarily do and enjoy picnics, sporting events, shopping, or just a cup of coffee and conversation. The activities will reflect individual interests and will offer an informal and easy relationship where each can come to know and appreciate other.
Hosts are American families or individuals who seek to welcome and to know international students.
They help international students get to know the American culture by inviting them occasionally to their homes, asking them to join in an excursion or a community event, or encouraging them to share their interests and activities. Students, in turn, help Americans understand their country, culture and way of life, through photos of home, and very often, through cooking one of their typical foods or inviting hosts to one of their nationality group celebrations. Through sharing in this way, appreciation of one another's culture grows.