So this show is called Experience Michiana.

And on this segment you actually get to experience Michiana, but you get to experience different cultures from around the world as well.

If you participate in this program, I'm here with Brenda.

Brenda, tell me a little bit about what this is.

ICES ICES.

Yeah.

International cultural exchange services.

We're an organization that brings students over from around the world to be with host families here in the United States.

But I primarily work with the with Indiana.

They are kids in other countries that want to be here for a school year.

It's a cultural exchange, not really an academic exchange.

And they go through an agent there who hooks up with agents here.

And like I said, we've been in business 35 years, and it's been a good experience to have those kids who want to develop themselves for their future by spending a year here and learning our culture.

So I remember growing up in Ireland, we would get students from Spain and France and stuff, but they were normally over for summer.

They never said for an entire year.

So this commitment is that a normal program here in the United States?

I mean, I've been here ten years.

I'm just not familiar with the student exchange programs.

But is it usually here or are there programs where they're shorter?

Well, ours is going to be, from, two school semesters.

You come in August and stay till the end of school, which is ten months.

Yeah.

Or you could come in January and stay till, the end of the year.

Okay.

And actually, if you come in August, you can stay at a semester.

So we have semester program, okay.

And a ten month program.

How hard is it to get people to once a young person to come in to their home?

I mean, it must be a certain mindset that it's kind of open to such a long period of time as well.

It, I always say expect the unexpected.

Yeah.

You don't know what you're going to get.

You don't know, what culture they come from necessarily, what they do there.

But people that have big open hearts, big families no families, retirees, empty nesters, two moms, two dads, anybody can host.

It's whether, you're willing to let a teenager come in and enhance your life and really great way.

Yeah.

And I see on here, like there is a page that kind of gives examples of some of the people that are available.

And, you know, you look because it's important to, for your life because, you know, my wife and I go to church every Sunday.

So I see this girl is Christian, doesn't attended church, but is open to attending and things like that.

So you'd obviously wanted to try and find someone that does match the family and what you're doing in the family.

That's exactly how we do it, and that's why we provide those letters from the students and from the family so that if you're interested or let's say you have kids who are interested in soccer or maybe they're swimming, so we find students that have those same interests and the activities that they do, maybe they don't do sports.

Maybe you don't want to go to a sports event every week.

Maybe you just want to, you'd be around the house and go to local events.

We have kids that do that too.

Yeah.

So we match, and the host family gets to actually pick the student.

The student doesn't pick the host family because they are volunteer host families.

This is not a, paid or a stipend, situation for the family.

So we let them, we give them all, like, the information that we have here.

We give that to the families, and they go, and they read the letter, and then if it resonates with them, then they're interested, and then we, maybe send them a couple more and they'll pick the one that really fits the family the best.

We've a two year old.

Can I at least get them to babysit in return for staying in my house?

Or.

You know, that sounds like it might be nice to, like, you know, it's like, okay, you can come over for a year.

It's a big sister or a big brother.

They absolutely can help you.

You know, when you said there's no stipend, I was like, oh, I'm not so sure about now.

I'm thinking about a built in babysitter.

Might be nice.

Like to have, you know, something.

Teach her French.

Yes.

True.

And there's that too.

But we do want them to do chores in the house.

They're not a, They're not a guest, you know, part of the family.

So I always have mine.

Take the trash to the curb to clean up their room.

They'll put dishes away, or they're just do little stuff.

I don't I don't have them do manual labor.

Yeah, cut the grass.

Maybe once in a while in the summer, if it still is.

But I'm lucky they weren't in my house growing up.

They would have, they would have been in a rush to go back to France just to take a break, to go home over there.

Would have been plenty of chores.

Well, you know, that's a earn or keep, you know, growing up, but.

And how hard is it to find people?

Because, you know, even I know a lot about the foster system in the United States.

I know this isn't the same, but even difficult with stipends to get people to take kids into their homes that are not, you know, their own.

And so when it comes to something like this, where it's a kid from another country, is it generally difficult to to find host families?

It changes every year.

And, last year I thought was a little difficult and we didn't really know why.

This year, it's been a little bit of a challenge for us.

For the year.

Yeah.

For the for the United States.

Yeah.

So, we're really trying to get the word out, and there are people that have never heard of the foreign exchange student program.

Yeah.

So host families offer a bed, three meals a day and parental guidance.

Yeah.

The students have their own spending money.

They do speak English, but they always come to improve.

They have, health insurance and they have to get good grades.

Yeah.

And you have support of the local coordinator?

Yeah.

That is going to be with you every month, and they're going to, check in with you.

They're going to make sure that that student's doing well, that you're, doing, bonding.

Yeah.

And anything that arises we're there with local support is what you get being a host family.

And obviously, if they're in activities or doing sports, that's the responsibility of the host family to get them there as well.

We call that, some transportation because, they if there's no activity bus, they could you would probably have to take them or pick them up from practice.

But yes, that that's one thing that would be required with having a student involved in activities.

And so in your experience doing this, what is it that the host family.

Because I don't I'm not saying this in a smart way.

What do they get out of it?

Because obviously there's something in their heart they get out of it.

There's a bigger thing that they get out of it.

And what have you seen in your experience that is common that people say after doing this?

Well, someone just told me a few minutes ago that there is a host family that has visited their former students, in their own countries and has gone from country to country.

Yeah, the students come here.

They are literally your international son or daughter.

Yeah.

True.

That is the goal.

That's where we want this, to end up at the end of the end of the time that they're here.

Yeah.

And what kind of checks are done on families to make sure that they are appropriate and that there are their background checks on people, or so how does that work?

Okay, there's an online application where you will put in all the information that's asked about the family and such.

There is a background check, for anybody 18 or older, you will have references, that you would, supply us so we can call references.

Yeah.

And, home check.

So we do come to the home, and we make sure that it's a space that would be suitable for a foreign exchange student.

Yeah.

Which is obviously really important.

And and obviously, some of those are big commitments, but there is a shorter commitment which is being a welcoming host family just for 6 to 8 weeks as the students get here.

Right?

Yes.

That really helps us get the student here enrolled in school.

And then, from that point, while we're still looking for a permanent family, they have the opportunity they don't miss out on on coming.

So, yes.

Welcome.

Families are 6 to 8 weeks, and, we love people to step up and help us out that way.

And we're here today at Mishawaka High School.

Is there a reason that we're here for this, or are they affiliated with the program to some of the kids go there or, well, to high school and all this, J-1 visa is what we work with.

It's a J-1 visa, and it is for public school.

And Mishawaka, is very open to exchange students.

Yeah.

And they have taken several of mine that I have.

And there's other organizations, but, I work closely with all of the exchanges, all of the high schools locally.

Now, I C E S the organization you represent.

How can people get in touch if they watch this and they think it is something that they really want to do?

Well, I'm at B Markin at ICES USA dot Org.

Or you could go to ICES usa.org and you could actually see a spot where it says meet our students, and you can look through some of the students that are available.

And then the company will, if you want to apply through the company, they'll let us know in what area that we're at.

Okay.

So it's a perfect it's easy and you know, it's a rewarding for both.

Yeah.

Okay.

Well thank you so much.

And, I hope lots of people get more information, at least on, place, you know, because, as a person born in another country who moved here, I love this country.

So I'd love for other people to get a chance to experience it, too, and meet the real people.

Because they're awesome.

That's right, that's right.

Thank you.