A not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing more love, peace, and understanding to the world through intercultural student exchange.
Become a member of the STS Foundation Family today! STS Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that provides opportunities to American families to host an international exchange student. We believe that cultural exchange promotes understanding, respect, and goodwill among people of all nations. Students, host families, schools, and communities have an opportunity to learn more about another's
06/19/2026
Today we observe Juneteenth in the USA.
Also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, Juneteenth commemorates June 19th, 1865, when the last of the enslaved Africans Americans were made free.
Swipe to learn more about this day and how it is recognized today.
How do you make an exchange student feel welcome on their first day in your home?
Host mom and Local Coordinator Jamie Smock shares her tips with us.
Are you an experienced host family? Share your tips in the comments 👇
06/17/2026
Hosting an exchange student gives you a great excuse to explore your community and the USA!
If you're looking for an excuse to travel, or are just wanting to show off all the great things your hometown has to offer, hosting may just be for you. When you welcome an exchange student into your community, you get to show them what life looks like in your corner of America! Whether you live out in the countryside or in a big city, there is plenty for you to explore and celebrate together. Host families also often find that hosting opens the door to see other parts of the USA with their exchange student! You make so many incredible memories together when you're experiencing a place for the first time as a family.
Join the fun today and show off all the wonders and fun your hometown has to offer!
When you host an exchange student, you find yourself experiencing a wide range of emotions, from curiosity and excitement, to sometimes nerves and awkwardness. It’s all part of the journey. But at the end of the day, hosting gives you a sense of deep connection, and it feels amazing to know you can bond so closely with someone from another part of the world, despite your differences.
Take the leap today, and experience what hosting feels like for you.
These are the kind of amazing, heartwarming moments you get to experience when you host an exchange student!
Sign up today and see just how wonderful it is to welcome an exchange student into your family 🫶
06/13/2026
Hosting is an exchange student is all about trying new things, for them and for you!
Exchange students are excited to come to the USA and experience what YOUR life is like, not what they see on TV! In turn, they also can't wait to share their own culture and customs with you, making every holiday and meal together new and interesting.
Join the fun today and sign up to host! Who knows what you'll learn from them, and what they'll learn from you!
https://stsfoundation.org/become-a-host-family/
Have you ever thought hosting an exchange student seems fun, but you’re not sure what it would look like?
The truth is, hosting looks like welcoming a student into your home who’ll become family for life. It looks like talking about your day at the dinner table, family movie nights, cheering them on at school, and much, much more. It looks like embracing new traditions and finding new ways to celebrate your favorite holidays. It’s sharing your favorite things your community has to offer, and seeing the world through new eyes.
Whether you’ve always thought about hosting or hadn’t realized it was a possibility until right now, ✨THIS✨ is your sign to take the leap and host today!
You've been matched with your student!🎉 Now what?🤔
We believe the best way to start your relationship with your future exchange student off on the right foot is to communicate! Whether it's over text, email, phone call or FaceTime, connecting with your exchange student ahead of their arrival is an important part of building a strong relationship together. Now is the time to get to know each other better, talk about your family, your community, and things you'll want to do together!
If you're looking for more tips like these, check out our podcast, Around the Exchange Table!
This episode with Local Coordinator and Host Mom Jamie is full of great stories and advice for host families and students alike. Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube!
06/08/2026
"How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."
While it's never "goodbye," in cultural exchange, it's still hard to see your exchange student return to their home country at the end of the school year. The memories you've made together, the moments you have shared all make for an unbreakable bond that stretches around the world. But it's moments like these that make you thankful for the ups and downs, for the laughs and the learning moments. Your life and family are forever changed the moment you decide to host, and we could not be more grateful for the love and kindness you have shown them!
There's still time to sign up to host for the 2026-2027 school year! If you're ready to take the leap, head to https://www.stsfoundation.org/ to join the fun today.
06/02/2026
We are proud to announce that this year’s STS Foundation Global School Award has been presented to Sullivan East High School
The STS Foundation Global School Award was created to recognize the schools that go above and beyond in supporting our mission of fostering mutual understanding and empowering young people through cultural exchange. Through strong partnerships with American high schools, we are able to provide students with life-changing experiences that help shape the global citizens of tomorrow.
This past year, Sullivan East High School welcomed 10 exchange students and received three outstanding nominations for this recognition. The school consistently goes above and beyond to ensure exchange students feel welcomed, supported, and fully immersed in the true American high school experience. From building meaningful connections to encouraging participation in school and community life, the dedication shown by the staff, students, and community reflects the very heart of cultural exchange.
We are incredibly grateful to Sullivan East High School for their commitment to international understanding and for creating an environment where students from around the world can learn, grow, and thrive.
